LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
Gv^^v 

Chap. Copyright No.,._ 

ShellZTX. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



EDUCATIONAL VALUE 



OF THE 



CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS. 



& Nobel Pan of Character Builoing. 



The Playgrounds are most important educational factors. 

They build up Character as the schools develope the mind. 

" A child's moral culture depends upon his play." 

People do not practise as they know, because no attention is paid to how they play. 



/ 



By STOYAN VASIL TSANOFF, 

General Secretary of the Culture Extension League. 






ML 3 






PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR. ^"^J 

I305 ARCH STREET 
1897. 






1 



V 







"? 

^ 



Copyright, 1897, by Stoyan Vasil Tsanoff. 



PREFACE. 

This little book was written for the purpose of answering 
a pressing need for a better understanding of the value and 
possibilities of Children's Playgrounds. During the four 
years of his connection with an association interested in the 
establishment of Playgrounds, the writer has been impressed 
with the fact that the scope of the movement is very 
inadequately understood, even by some of its warm advo- 
cates. On the other hand, the literature devoted to the 
Playgrounds idea, consisting almost exclusively of some 
articles in the periodical reviews and the daily papers, has 
treated them from a rather one-sided point of view, thus 
having failed to do them justice. Should this treatise effect 
a larger appreciation of the importance of the Playgrounds 
and a clearer understanding of the best methods of con- 
ducting them, it will be sufficient reward for the labor 
involved. The writer will welcome every sincere and 
intelligent criticism as co-operation in enlightening public 
sentiment on this momentous, but seriously neglected, ^ 
phase of human interests. Jf 

Stoyan Vasil Tsanoff. • 
Philadelphia, June, 189J. 



CONTENTS. 



Introductory Remarks i 

CHAPTER I. 

Present Attitude Toward the Playgrounds .... 10 

How They are Supplied 12 

Equipments and Regulations 15 

Their Essential Value 15 

CHAPTER II. 

What We Mean by Playgrounds 17 

A Model Playground 18 

CHAPTER III. 

What Such Playgrounds can Accomplish 28 

(1) Physical Advantages 28 

(2) They Bring Civil Order and Regularity ... 36 

(3) Giving Comfort to the Mothers at Home and 

to the Children at Play 38 

(4) Develop Life and Bring Happiness 39 

(5) They are Indispensable to Formation of Ideal 
Character 46 

(a) What is Character ? 46 

(b) How Habits are Formed ? 48 

(c) What Do We Repeat and Imitate ? . 49 

(d) What are the Children most interested 

in and led by 50 

(e) What Kind of Plays Influence Chil- 

dren Most? 50 



Contents. v 

CHAPTER IV. 

Modern Doctrines of Character Building .... 53 

(1) Claims of the Educators 53 

(2) Requirements from the Home 57 

(3) Claims of the Church 58 

Weakness of the Above Doctrines 62 

(1) Educators' Mistakes 63 

(2) Impertinent Requirements from the Mother . 67 

(3) Unfounded Claims of the Church 71 

(4) Joint Work of the Home, the School and the 

Church 76 

Heredity and Environments 78 

CHAPTER V. 

Evil Habits and Tendencies 82 

(1) How They are Fostered and Developed ... 82 

(a) Fostering Evil in the Infant ... 84 

(b) Instilling Evil into the Youth ... 87 

(c) The Children on the Streets .... 91 

(d) Natural Results 98 

(2) Remedies 100 

(a) Illustrations 100 

(b) Evidences from Educators 105 

(c) Difficulties in the Way 117 

CHAPTER VI. 

Procuring of Playgrounds 121 

Playgrounds in London and Other Cities .... 122 

The Philadelphia Model Playgrounds Movement . 125 

A Brief History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds . 128 



vi Contents. 

CHAPTER VII. 

A Plea to the Responsible 144 

(1) The Educators 145 

(2) The Press 146 

(3) The Officials 151 

(4) The Charitable and Philanthropic 156 

(5) The Church 1 ; 7 

APPENDIX. 

Religion and Character 163 

A Resume of Their Dependence and Independence 

of Each Other 163 



CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS. 



^Educational 'Balm of €§ilbven'B ^la^roun^. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 

The writer greatly desired to begin this treatise by giv- 
ing a brief history of the children's playgrounds, but there 
seem to be but scanty materials for such a history. One 
finds himself practically in a desert while tracing this path 
of human interests. No books seem to have been written 
on playgrounds, no organized efforts made to regulate 
them, even words proper to discuss them are lacking. 
This but means that no regard has been paid to them in 
the past. 

Not only playgrounds in particular, but the children's 
plays in general, seem to have been quite neglected. 
Though there have been many and various provisions for 
the pleasures and amusements of the young who have 
passed the bounds of childhood, the children themselves, 
with whom all these things should have commenced, have 



2 Educational Value of Children's Playgrounds. 

been left to take care of themselves. Furthermore, there are 
evidences that, since the time of the Greeks, Persians, and 
other ancient nations (who deserve the credit of having had 
some light on the educational value of children's play, and 
who had given it a place in their educational systems) there 
have been more efforts made, chiefly by guardians, to check 
or suppress child's play than to facilitate or encourage it ! 

We find, for instance, that the Egyptians were particularly 
strict "that the young should be early accustomed to such 
gestures, looks and motions as were decent and proper, 
and for this reason they took care that every dance and ode, 
introduced in their feasts and sacrifices, in which the young 
took part, should be subject to certain regulations." 

The Persians, through " various bodily and athletic exer- 
cises, developed good habits, and thereby good character 
and moral training. Of intellectual education they had but 
little." 

The Greeks saw a good deal of the educational value of 
the child's play, not only as a foundation for military train- 
ing, but as tending to the harmonious development of the 
young. And they made use of their knowledge: " It was 
not considered sufficient for the boys to play mere chance 



Introductory Remarks. 3 

games of childhood. They underwent careful bodily train- 
ing under a fixed system." Plato and others not only 
taught the advantages of play in preparing the young for 
social and private life, but also gave some directions for 
regulating them. 

Quintilian looked upon play as a sign of an active 
mind, and considered children who play in slow and spirit- 
less manner as unlikely to- show any remarkable aptitude 
for any branch of study. 

These sound ideas were due to adherence to the natural. 
These nations, especially the Greeks, held fast to what 
appeared to them to be natural. " They believed that what 
was natural was right." And no one who watches the 
natural impulse of the child can fail to notice the great part 
which play takes in his development. 

It is true that these nations did not conceive the full 
value of child's play; but they were on the right track, 
and had not those naturalistic tendencies been unfortunately 
perverted, the world would have been much further ad- 
vanced to-day ! 

The Christian church is charged with having ignored 
(when in power) and even discouraged the. teachings that 



4 Educational Value of Children s Playgrounds. 

came from the idolatrous nations, and proclaimed that Divine 
help was the necessity for man's uplifting. This is regarded 
as having practically put aside from public notice, among 
other things, the interests of child's play. In its early history 
the church fell into the mistake which is still prevalent, name- 
ly, of depending for many things on being dropped as manna 
from Heaven, instead of considering the fact that they are 
already here, embodied in the natural laws of God, and that 
what must be done is to have these laws observed. Had the 
pure mission of Christianity been rightly understood, as rep- 
resenting the spiritual or soulsaving interests of man, and the 
natural laws which govern man's intellectual, physical, social 
and even moral development been discriminately observed, 
what a blessing this would have been to the church and 
the world ! 

After the gloom of the "Dark Ages " was dispersed by the 
light of the Renaissance and the Reformation, we again see 
writers touching the value of the child's play, mostly in the 
sense of defending it against its enemies. Luther, for 
instance, censures those who despise the children's play, 
and points out that "' Solomon, who was a judicious school- 
master, did not prohibit scholars from play at the proper 



hitroditctory Remarks. 5 

time, as the monks do to their pupils, who thus become 
mere logs and sticks." 

Rabelais, Fenelon, Locke, Schiller, Richter and others all 
held in a general way that this " gamesome humor, which 
is wisely adapted by nature to the child's age and temper, 
should be encouraged and not discouraged, that this activity 
of the child alone can bring serenity and happiness, that 
play is the first poetical (creative) utterance of man." These 
however, as we said, were rather in the nature of passing 
statements ; their underlying ideas were not thoroughly 
developed, and they did not affect much the practical life. 

It is Froebel who is considered as having discovered the 
possibilities of the child's play, chiefly as it is manifested in 
the kindergarten philosophy. This however has been 
directed to regard play mainly so far as it is advantageous 
to acquirement of knowledge. It is but a new scheme of 
education. The little children are gathered together two 
or three hours a day, or as long as they can stand it, and, 
through songs, music, clay-modeling and other amusing 
exercises, are taught to cultivate their powers of observa- 
tion, to form ideas and habits of industry, thus counteract- 
ing the tendency toward idleness, etc. 



6 Educational Value of Children's Playgrounds. 

Now, far be it from us to depreciate in any measure the 
advantages of this kindergarten idea. On the contrary if 
we could emphasize its importance more strongly than it 
has been emphasized by others, we would gladly do so. 
One of the greatest benefits that can be derived from the 
child's play is undoubtedly that sought by the kindergarten 
system. 

It will be a great mistake, however, to think that this is 
all the mission of the child's play, or that it is even the 
chief one. Our endeavors in the following pages is to prove 
that the sphere of the child's play, especially in the play- 
ground, is much, broader, and that on the whole it fulfills a 
higher mission than even that of the kindergarten. Here 
we mav onlv sav that in studvinsr the kindergarten svstem, 
one gains the impression that, while much effort is made to 
get the greatest possible instructive results from the child's 
play, the value of play as play is far from being properly 
considered. To supply the needed corrective to this one- 
sided view one feels it cannot be too strongly insisted upon. 
The child's play has functions of its own, which consist 
mainly in supplying the pleasures, enjoyments and refresh- 
ments of the sturdy youthful life, and forms habits of char- 



Introductory Remarks. 7 

acter, without which the child never can become a bright, 
cheerful, serene, happy and upright man or woman. These 
impoitant factors in upbuilding human life have been sadly 
neglected. 

Froebel did conceive to an extent the value of play 
beyond what the kindergarten system represents; and in 
the few pages which he has devoted exclusively to this 
"play — in free activity " as well as in the incidental hints 
upon it throughout his writings, he has touched some very 
vital points of this important subject. But after all it may 
plainly be questioned whether he had clear understanding 
of the value of this play though even he had adopted Uy 
in his school system. If he had, he undoubtedly would 
have said something more about it. If he understood 
rightly the value of child's " free play," he would not have 
required so much of the child's moral training from the 
home and the school ; he would not have spoken of the co- 
operative efforts of the home and the school without saying 
a word about the wide gap between them, which constitutes 
the chief centre of child's free play ; he certainly would have 
said something more about the playgrounds. " Every 
town," says he, " should have its own common playground 



8 Educational Value of Children's Playgrounds. 

for the boys." This is equivalent to the modern recommen- 
dations of providing "ball grounds for the boys," which is 
a very different thing from providing playgrounds for the 
cltildren. Had Froebel understood the inspiring and in- 
vigorating value of child's free play as he understood it 
(play) as harnessed for the purpose of instruction, he 
certainly would have said so and to-day playgrounds and 
kindergartens would have undoubtedly stood side by side 
with each other. 

As mitigating the results of this neglect of play-culture, 
however, the fact should be remembered that, as one writer 
says, the world in the past years has been considerably 
childish. The young people of marriageable age, and even 
mature men and woman, often gathered in groops in playing 
games or sportfully enjoying themselves on open spaces. 
There the children were always attracted, and picked up 
lessons of play which they reproduced in their own 
gatherings. 

The literature on the child's play, so far as there is such 
outside of the kindergarten works, deals mostly with the 
games and plays as they are found among the children 
themselves, either as their invention or copied from the 



Introductory Remarks. g 

adults. There is practically no history and no literature of 
efforts to teach and guide the children in their play, and 
thus try to make them happy. If there are any, they are 
hidden in the shelves of the monasteries, where it may 
take one's lifetime to find them. It is true that supplying 
dolls and toys has not been lacking, neither are occasional 
domestic exercises in the interest of the child's play ; 
but these in themselves are rather trifling matters, compared 
with child's broad need of play. Furthermore, on the one 
hand such playthings have been very quickly destroyed by 
the abuse to which the child, if not guided, naturally sub- 
jects them ; and, on the other, in many cases they have been 
a cause of quarrelings and disturbance among the children, 
thus bringing pain and trouble instead of pleasure and 
profit. 

But the playgrounds, the centres of the child's play, have 
been still less regarded. Parks and gardens for the grown 
people, however, have not been so neglected. 

It is due to this neglect of the child's natural needs that it 
has been so hard to diminish many evils in the world. 



fteenf Attitude Qovoavb t§t $fay%vouribB. 

We have chosen to speak mainly of the playgrounds or 
spaces for the open-air exercises of children rather than of 
play in general, (i) because they are the more important, 
and (2) because they are the more neglected and less 
understood. 

It is within a comparatively recent time that some practical 
awakening has taken place regarding playgrounds, as well 
as children's play and amusements in general. A number 
of articles have been written in the periodicals and the 
papers on the subject, societies have been organized for their 
extension, and some of the leading European and American 
cities have shown in a measure Official interest in them. 

The idea, as far as it has advanced, seems to be so 
popular that it is hard to say whether any individual or 
individuals deserve the credit of originating it. The authors 
of the articles referred to, in most cases, seem to have merely 
put on paper what a large portion of the people already 
understood and believed in. Hence it appears to me that, 
under the circumstances, the natural way to begin this dis- 
cussion will be by bringing forth the leading notions con- 
cerning the value of the playgrounds. 



Recognized Merits. 1 1 

One, and the chief, merit attached to the playgrounds is 
their great advantage to the physical development of the 
young, especially the boy. In fact, it could be said that other 
merits are hardly considered, though some are mentioned. 
It is mostly claimed that there should be provided open 
spaces of land where the children may run, jump, play, and 
enjoy themselves at will in the open air, and thus gain 
physical strength and health. 

According to this notion, the children of the small towns 
and villages do not need playgrounds, because they have 
enough open country places in which to play. About the 
same is claimed for the children of the wealthy classes in 
the cities They do not need playgrounds, it is stated, 
either, because they have yards around the houses, which 
answer the purpose perfectly. Therefore playgrounds are 
needed only in the large cities, and mainly for their slums 
or densely populated sections. They are not regarded as 
necessary in the winter, for then the children are evidently 
supposed to be either at school or at home. It has been, 
in fact, the pitiable condition of the poor children in the 
narrow and dirty alleys and gutters during the hot months 
of July and August that awakened the deep sympathy of 
philanthropic people, and the resulting impetus towards 
ameliorative work originated and stimulated, among other 
forms of effort, the growth of this playground idea. 



1 2 Present Attitude Toward the Playgrounds. 

But after attention had once been turned toward the 
children on the streets, other evils were easily noticed.- 
The constant friction between the police and the playing 
boys on the street also claimed attention, and gave another 
reason why there should be provided places where " these 
poor little ones may lay foot without fear of being arrested 
or chased by the police." Furthermore, the very numerous 
young victims to the trolley cars have no less stimulated 
the public feeling in favor of playgrounds, where the 
children may go to play, safe from danger to life and limb. 

There is also a very strong and growing sentiment in 
favor of providing larger yards in connection with the public 
schools, the stated reasons being that the children may 
have better exercises during recess, and thus be better 
fitted for their studies. 

How they are Supplied. — As to the ways of supplying these 
playgrounds, this is left to the circumstances of each case 
The land in the cities is counted too expensive to be devoted 
to such children's " extravagance." If philanthropists desire 
to treat them with a piece of ground somewhere, veiy good ; 
but to go beyond this, " does not pay." Playgrounds, 
therefore, are in most cases being improvised from such 
spaces as are opened by chance. London, which probably 
leads the world in this respect, has utilized many church 



Equipments and Regulations. 1 3 

yards and abandoned cemeteries. So have many other 
cities. The idea of throwing open the school-yards for the 
purpose during the summer months is rapidly advancing. 
In the art of entering and using vacant lots, belonging to 
private parties, the children themselves are adepts. If 
there are no restrictions, the boys are soon using the lots 
" for all they are worth." Should it happen that they are 
fenced, however, woe to such fences! They will soon be 
made to resemble an old ruin. 

But the most often commended way of obtaining play- 
grounds is, by leaving parts in the small parks or squares for 
this purpose. As was said above, parks, gardens and other 
provisions for the pleasures and amusements of older people 
have in a measure always been in existence. The small 
parks idea for the cities has been very rapidly developed 
during the present century. They have always been de- 
signed to answer the tastes of older people. The children 
have not been directly considered. Now, however, as an 
awakening in the interest of the children has taken place, 
the idea of fitting parts of the parks to their taste and use 
is forcing its way into public notice. This plan is consider- 
ably advanced in some of the European cities, while in 
America it is only being introduced. 

Equipments and Regtdations. — There are few equipments 



14 Present Attitude Toward the Flay grounds. 

and still fewer regulations on these playgrounds. They 
consist mainly of open spaces where the children may go 
whenever they care to, and do as they please, without 
restrictions. In some places the work is advanced to the 
extent of supplying them with such material as sand, shovels, 
swings, and others, which, of course, add much to their 
attractiveness. Supervision is provided in places like 
school and church yards mostly for the purpose of pre- 
venting damage toproperty. In connection with the school- 
yard work during the summer, kindergarten exercises are 
provided mainly for the small children. 

These are the leading facts to be noted regarding the 
present development of the children's playgrounds work. 
They, however, are far from showing an appreciation of the 
possibilities of the playgrounds. All this is dealing rather 
with their trifling or external than with their internal or 
essential value It does not do justice to the playgrounds 
either in estimating their mission or in the measures taken to 
provide them. 

To say, for instance, that playgrounds are needed only for 
physical welfare of the young is like saying that the bones 
alone are the body. But to go still further and say that 
thev are needed only for the " slum children," and only for 
the hot summer months, evidences an extremely superficial 



Their Essential Value. 15 

view of the subject. To work on such ideas as these 
would be something like looking at the shadow, not at 
the subject; like speaking of the smell and not the taste of 
food ; like judging the melon by the taste of the rind rather 
than by its interior. 

Their Essential Value. — The mission of the playground 
goes far beyond all such suppositions as the above. They 
are most important educational factors. They stimulate and 
guide life in a way nothing else can do. Their relation to 
development of character is very similar to that which the 
school bears toward the development of the mind. In 
fact, the collective play of the children has a greater influ- 
ence in forming habits of personal and social conduct of 
life than has school or even home instructions and advices. 
Many practical questions for the solution of which we have 
been looking to the school, the home or the church, will be 
found to belong to the playground to solve. 

The time is coming when the playgrounds will be as 
seriously considered as a factor in the education of the 
young, as the schools are considered to-day. In fact,. I 
rejoice to say that this policy toward the playgrounds is 
already accepted by at least the people constituting the 
Culture Extension League, a new organization aiming at 
promoting plans for the education of the " whole man." 



1 6 Present Attitude Toward the Playgrounds. 

It not only looks upon the playground in this light, but one 
of its most advanced and most active branches of work is at 
present that in the hands of the playgrounds committee, 
and the League is exerting greatest energy for the widest 
extension of the work. What we will endeavor to say here- 
after will be, practically, more or less, the faith and works 
of the said League in this respect. 



II. 

Before describing specifically what playgrounds can do 
and how they do it, it is necessary to have clearly in mind 
what we mean by playgrounds. 

As stated above, the prevalent idea of playgrounds is 
open spaces where the children may go at will and rather do 
as they please (see page 1 3). These, however, we would call 
rather wild playgrounds, likely to produce on the whole 
more harm than good. They are, of course, a direct 
physical advantage to the young, but highly injurious to 
their personal character and social life. Their effect upon 
the child's flexible moral and social life is similar to that 
which nature alone has upon the childish mind of the 
savage. As the latter without instruction and guidance 
becomes a victim to wild imaginations, superstitions and 
idolatry, so the child left to play without guidance, acquires 
habits of loose, uncontrolled and disorderly life, full of 
rascality, corruption and degradation. As one writer says, 
" The child that is brought up by himself is extremely 
unfortunate in his tendencies." And who has not noticed 
this ? Who has not seen the children gathered by them- 
selves on vacant lots or street corners amusing themselves 
with profanity and vulgarity of every sort and indulging in 



1 8 What We Mean by Play grounds. 

every imaginable evil practice ? Indeed, it is very difficult 
to imagine anything more destructive to the character of 
youth than the prevalent practice of simply turning them 
loose when away from home and school. It kills many a 
seed of gentility and uprightness sown by the mothers and the 
teachers. It may be far better to confine the children at home 
and rear them in suppression of spirit and in dullness than 
to leave them free to seek play, amusement and companion- 
ship which will be certain to give the fullest development 
to their evil tendencies. 

No; a model idea of playgrounds, which, as we said, is 
already accepted by and inculcated in the Culture Extension 
League, is very different. By playgrounds here is meant 
open spaces of sufficient number and dimensions, equipped 
with everything that the child's nature requires in order to 
attract, guide, invigorate, satisfy and uplift the youth, thus 
serving, in their own way, as a connecting link between the 
home, the school and the church. For illustration let me 
instance the policy of the Culture Extension League, which, 
so far as I know, is the pioneer in this respect. For intro- 
duction of the work into practical life, the League selected 
in the City of Philadelphia a piece of ground covering about 
three acres, and surrounded by the dwellings of middle 
class of people. Its selection was due mostly to its suit- 
able size and feasability for cheap equipment and not to 



A Model Playground. 19 

the class of people surrounding it, as many have thought. 

The plan, as recommended by the one to whom it origi- 
nally suggested itself and as embodied in the League's 
work, aims at equipping the playground so as to answer the 
child's need of open air or free play, recreation and enjoy- 
ment all the year around — for it is known that his instinct 
for play is about as strong in winter as it is in summer. 
Meanwhile the place can answer to the neighborhood almost 
every purpose of a small park (square). 

Its equipment is to be somewhat as follows : There are 
two pavilions, one for girls, and one for boys, with ample halls 
decorated with pictures and other attractions, equipped with 
gymnastic apparatus, steam heat, shower bath, and other 
necessities for wintry and stormy weather exercises. In fact, 
the idea is to have these, or some such pavilions, answer 
almost every child's need for play possible during unfavor- 
able weather, which the open space outside does during 
favorable weather. Besides this, these pavilions can serve 
as places for various indoor games, may contain gymnastic 
apparatus for young people as well as for children, and may 
assure a most attractive centre for personal contact between 
people of refinement and culture and those who need these 
qualities. They also may contain porches for music, offices 
for the management and rooms for preserving implements 
and other necessarv material, 



20 What We Mean by Playgrounds. 

The space outside the pavilions is to be equipped some- 
what as follows : In the centre is an open circular area in- 
tended for plays requiring more space. It is to be flooded 
in winter for seating and drained off for the summer in order 
to furnish room for other plays. This is surrounded by a 
race, hoop and bicycle track. The rest of the ground, 
between the race track and the limits of the square, is 
covered with grass, trees, flowers, baby carriage and walk- 
ing tracks, and benches, with spaces between them for any 
other plays that can suitably be introduced. 

There are to be provided also some refreshing fountains, 
beautified with aquatic flowers and populated with fishes 
and other water animals. The baby carriage and the walk- 
ing track under the shady trees, surrounding the race track, 
furnishes convenience of witnessing all the games played. 
Benches are placed on every suitable spot for those desir- 
ing rest or visiting the place for recreation. On the one 
side a special place is provided for leaving babies safely 
while their older brothers and sisters (caretakers) are enjoy- 
ing themselves with other children. 

The responsible oversight of the exercises is to be 
entrusted to playground teachers, who are to teach mostly 
as being playmates and guides of the children. The latter 
are to have, within reasonable limits, full freedom in their 
play. Rough conduct, improper behavior or vulgarity of 



Equipments and Regulations. 21 

any sort will of course not be permitted. They are to 
enjoy themselves freely, but in civil and gentle manners. 
Much stress is to be laid upon inculcating order and atten- 
tion to discipline, as well as upon making the children 
realize that the playground is theirs and that it can be used 
to the best advantage only when each individual joins in 
observing order, regularity and decency, respecting the 
rights of the others, as well as cherishing kind and friendly 
feelings toward them. 

It is proposed to introduce the various suitable games 
that are known, native or foreign — revive old ones, invent 
new ones, — and in general make that spot the most attractive 
and delightful open-air place a person can find in the neigh- 
borhood. The playground teachers are to learn the natural 
tendencies of the children and adopt measures accordingly, 
just as the school-teachers or the kindergarteners do in 
their work. All the exercises will be, of course, subject to 
constant modifications to gratify the child's impulse for 
novelty and interest. 

For over a year, discussions have been carried on about 
fencing this play-ground. Its author has held and still 
holds that it should be fenced, the entrances controlled, and 
no disobedience to the rules of proper conduct be allowed. 
This, he claims, will contribute very greatly toward shield- 
ing the children within from the outside influences, and 



22 What We Mean by Playgrounds. 

make the place more like the abode of wholesomeness, re- 
finement and culture which it is intended to be. Without 
fences, it will be rather too common ; the teachers may feel 
in surroundings too conspicuous, unpleasantly exposed, and 
so less able to concentrate attention on the work, especially 
while it is a novelty in the minds of the people. Further- 
more, the children will be coming in and pass by, shouting 
and behaving in rough, vulgar and unrestrained manners, as 
they do in the streets, thus making it practically impos- 
sible to do anything for their betterment. In other words, 
without fences it would be rather a wild play-ground, little 
advantageous to moral good. 

The members of the committee which have charge of the 
matter easily got converted to this, some adding further that 
the fences will protect the property and prevent reckless 
running of the children in the way of the street cars. 

Some of the officials, however, who have the power to 
say yes or no, have shown quite a hard hearing toward 
" this fence idea." They speak as if there is no difference 
between a playground and a park, except that the one place is 
for running and jumping while the other merely is a place 
to sit down and look around. And as the idea of fencing 
the parks is abandoned, therefore the same should be done 
with the playgrounds. Furthermore, they say that the 
playgrounds have no legal standing as the parks have. 



Some Obstacles in the Way. 23 

Whatever permission is given, it is a matter of charity ; and 
so, " in order to avoid complications," we must treat this as 
if it is a park with a part of it as a playground. 

The question is practically unsettled as yet. The Councils 
have granted the square for the purpose under the con- 
dition that the plans be approved by the commissioner of 
the city property. Mr. Eisenhower, the commissioner, has 
consented to have some slight wire fences and thick shrub- 
beries. But as it will take time for the shrubberv to grrow, 
and the fences will be of no account beyond merely pre- 
venting reckless running into the streets, it would hardly be 
satisfactory to the main object of the enterprise. 

One source of the difficulties seems to rise from the fear 
of some neighboring property owners who think that the 
full realization of the idea may injure the value of their 
property, and for this reason they would rather have the 
square be converted into a park instead of playground. 

Even if these fears were well founded, we would say : let 
the property go, only save the lives and character of the 
children ! It seems as if volumes could be written in des- 
cribing the asiatic tyranies of the modern cities which for 
the sake of one man's property, maybe turn whole neighbor- 
hoods into condition of misery and wretchedness ! But 
there is no reason of such a fear whatever. The playground 
will be of much greater benefit to the property than any- 
thing else. The trees, the benches, the flowers, the fountains 



24 What We Mean by Playgrounds. 

and the hearty welcome to everybody who behaves well, 
will answer most every purpose of a park, while the various 
children's exercises would be a highly enjoyable and in- 
structive entertainment to all. 

Such enterprise should certainly be most heartily en- 
couraged by everybody and not be interfered with its success 
in any way. It is sufficiently pity that Councils did not ap- 
propriate money for the completion of the work, instead of 
leaving the financial burden to such an extent upon the 
Culture Extension League, which hindered veiy consider- 
ably its other departments of work. 

I quote these obstacles because they seem to be of 
most general nature. 

Having the playground thus equipped, the parents and 
teachers in the neighborhood are to be asked to send their 
children there, when they are not at school or at home, 
instead of letting them run wild in the streets. In fact, the 
plan is to make the playground attract the children by 
itself. As soon as the schools are dismissed, say about 3 
or 4 p m., the children are expected to come to the play- 
ground, unless otherwise ordered by the parents. There 
they will be taken in charge by the playground teachers, 
who will introduce them into the various games or plays, 
or join with them, or perhaps only remain around and 
prevent disorder and improper behavior in the plays. Thus 



Children's Playmates. 25 

the children will continue in gleeful enjoyment till supper 
time. After that, it is supposed that they must either begin 
studying their lessons for the following day, or go to the 
evening recreational places for music, indoor-games, debates, 
etc. (another department of the Culture Extension League's 
work), — or may come again to the playground, just as they 
or their guardians decide. During the school hours the 
playgrounds is opened to all for any proper use. In case any 
truants should come in, those in charge will get hold of such 
youth and try to put them to school. The ground is supposed 
to be closed about 10 p. m. During the vacation seasons, 
of course, it is to be available all the time to the children. 

Besides the playground teachers, the well-disposed people 
in the neighborhood, especially the young folks, are not 
only welcomed, but greatly desired to come and join the 
children and the teachers in the exercises. In other words, 
this playground will offer a splendid opportunity to those 
who feel a desire to engage in some form of humanitarian 
work, enabling them to receive as well as confer the benefits 
to be derived from it. 

I am sorry that I cannot speak of this as something fully 
materialized, not merely prospective ; but in substance there 
is no difference, so far as our object of quoting is concerned. 
There is no doubt whatever of its success, both in richly 
benefitting that immediate neighborhood, and in serving as 



26 What We Mean by Playgrounds. 

an object lesson to any community that may desire to bring 
up its citizens into noble manhood and womanhood, if the 
plans for its equipments and management are only carried 
into effect. The League, at least in its present capacity, is 
determined to fight all the difficulties in the way, and have 
the end attained, not only in the establishment of this one, 
but in multiplying the number of such playgrounds all 
over the city. 

Difference Between Playgrounds and Parks. — Before pass- 
ing on, I wish to emphasize the fact that playgrounds are 
entirely different things from parks. Nearly all the large 
cities in the civilized countries have Park Societies, the object 
of which is to work " for the establishment of parks and 
playgrounds," and they seem to make very little difference 
between the two. Now, I believe that the first reformatory 
steps which should be taken regarding these matters is to 
separate the playgrounds from the parks entirely. To 
treat them indifferently, as if they were one thing, would be 
an expression of a very limited understanding of their nature 
and missions. All that they have in common is being 
open spaces ; but to say on this account that they are the 
same thing, or even similar things, is like saying that 
schools and libraries are the same, because in both of them 
we deal with books. 



Difference Between Playgrounds and Parks. 27 

Healthful parks, equipped with beautiful zoological and 
botanical gardens, are of course admirable things, and 
they will undoubtedly be a real feature in the civic life 
of the future, not only for the health and pleasure they 
afford, but also for the instruction that may be obtained 
from them. Children as well as grown people will go there 
to enjoy the beauties of nature and of floral and arboreal 
art, and study them, under the guidance of competent natu- 
ralists. But no one can fail to see the great difference 
between such parks and the playgrounds we have described. 
Notice how, in the latter, all the provisions of beauty and 
equipment are made subservient to the satisfaction of the 
child's craving for plays and enjoyments, with final object 
not so much to inculcate knowledge and health as the 
park's equipment may do, though these are held in view 
too, but to show the young how to behave and live 
together, as well as to awake their hidden vitality into 
action, which play alone can do. 

The playground may or may not have anything 
attractive to the eye; but it is just what child's nature 
requires. The teacher here may know nothing of school 
teaching, neither is it very strictly required. What she 
must learn is how to amuse the young, and to regulate 
their various sports so as to make them most happy and 
manly. 



III. 

at Suc§ tyfayqeoimbs €<xn 3ccomp(is§. 

Now, we come to the inquiry which furnishes the crucial 
test of our plans : What can be accomplished with such 
playgrounds as are here advocated, especially if they are 
provided in every community in sufficient number and size 
to reach every child ? Undoubtedly, they will create educa- 
tional conditions that will aid very greatly in making every 
person " a giant and a genius." They will vastly increase 
the value of education, and will bring advantages and create 
conditions that will make life far more worth living. A 
detailed consideration of the subject will give excellent 
reasons for such a belief. 

i. Physical Advantages. — The advantages of play- 
grounds to the physical health of the children are obvious. 
In this respect, and in this only, the playgrounds have 
much in common with the parks, and the importance of the 
latter has been fully and widely recognized. One of the 
leading questions to-day in regard to the cities, especially 
concerning the poorer and more ignorant classes of their 
population, is how to provide sanitary and brightening 
conditions for them. And the answer very naturally sug- 



Preventing Future Slums. 2Q 

gests itself: provide parks, open spaces, playgrounds; give 
fresh air and sunlight to them ! The principle here is well 
grasped, but it is so far from being carried out in practical 
life as it deserves, that we may be justified in stopping and 
making a strong plea for it. 

As we said, to considerable extent the playgrounds here 
resemble parks, and so we may in a way treat them alike. 

It is a great pity that the cities in the past have so gen- 
erally been content to build and extend themselves in un- 
broken stretches of bricks and mortar in all directions, shut- 
ting up the avenues through which air could flow, the sun 
shine, or the people freely move. And shall we charge this 
to sole ignorance ? By no means ; it is due no less to negli- 
gence, carelessness and plutocratic egotism of the rich and 
strong. For even to-day, while on the one hand there is so 
much discussion of the question of bettering the conditions 
of the "slums," on the other, the cities are rapidly extend- 
ing themselves in breadth and length, seemingly without 
thought that they are inaugurating conditions liable to 
create for posterity even greater difficulties than our prede- 
cessors have left to us. 

Everybody sees that the cities to-day are growing with 
marvelous rapidity, and there r.re few signs of any abate- 
ment of this tendency, which is, indeed, one of the most 
marked characteristics of this century. Middle-aged people, 



30 What Snch Playgrounds Can Accomplish. 

for instance, remember when the larger part of the ground 
on which Philadelphia now stands was open country. In 
less than a generation this city has extended itself by miles, 
and the growth has never been faster than at the present 
day. But this is merely an illustration. About the same 
could be said of almost any other city the world over. It 
they cannot grow in breadth and length, as do Philadelphia 
and Chicago, they grow in thickness by covering every spot 
of the ground possible, and building even higher and higher 
as land gets built up. And amidst all this how little attention 
is paid to leaving spaces for parks, much less for play- 
grounds ! I do not say no attention is paid to these sub- 
jects, but comparatively very insignificant attention is paid. 
Take Philadelphia again for illustration. We are accus- 
tomed to hearing that this is one of the leading cities in the 
matter of providing breathing places for its people. "Physi- 
cally it is queen among cities," said one of the leading papers. 
And what has this city, the proud leader in this movement, 
provided for its favored inhabitants ? Only a few small parks 
each in the midst of many squares of solidly built up busi- 
ness structures and residences. Thus the large majority 
of the people seldom see, and practically seldom think of 
these parks. 

Nothing is more common among the great mass of 
Philadelphians, as among the people of other cities, than 



Reselling From Street Infltiences. 3 1 

sitting, after the toils of the day, on the windows or on 
the door-steps and refresh themselves, on the perspiring 
streets, in many cases covered with filth and confused with 
traffic, noise and tumult. 

Such being the sources of their daily impressions, is it sur- 
prising that mischievous gossip forms a staple element of con- 
versation, and destroys peace and good feeling amoung neigh- 
bors ? " Gossip always decreases as the library increases," 
says some one. This is equivalent to saying that gossip, like 
any other form of malice or vulgarity, decreases whenever 
elevating surroundings are provided. Carry yourself for a 
moment to the park or the model playground. Remember 
the green leaves of the trees, the grass and flowers around 
you, the refreshing air and the songs of the birds ; — how all 
these centre in your soul through the unifying influence of 
nature's harmony, and fill you with lofty and noble aspira- 
tions! Compare this with the impression you receive on the 
streets where you see and hear nothing but how. one is 
dressed, how another walks, how the third talks, or the 
fourth quarrels. What a difference ! 

Of course a comforting fact in this connection is that the 
newly built sections of the cities are not like the old thickly- 
settled portions. They are not crowded tenements, it is 
true ; but my argument is that they are certain, under our 
present system, to become so ultimately. The tenements or 



32 What Such Playgrounds Can Accomplish. 

slums of to-day were not such in the beginning, either. In 
many cases then they were inhabited by best people of the 
city. They became slums because no breathing spots, no 
cheering environments were provided, so the better classes 
moved away and the poor and ignorant in turn came in. 

Now let us consider if the same tendency does not grow 
in the cities to-day In their rapid growth they are again 
covering nearly every spot of ground with buildings. A 
small park is left only here and there. Few houses have 
yards and trees around them, and such as are so favored 
are nearly certain to be demolished by the next generation 
to make room for solid rows of houses. The rich are 
constantly moving further and further out into the suburbs, 
keeping only their business in the city, while the poor alone 
are left to wane in the city streets. In all this I see nothing 
so plainly as ingredients of future slummy conditions. 

As to the boasts that are often heard regarding- the large 
parks that the cities have laid out in their outskirts, it could 
only be said that so far as the healthful conditions of the 
masses are concerned, these hardly enters into the considera- 
tion of the question. We might just as well boast of the open 
country that lies farther out of the city. How much better 
would it have been if such parks had been distributed in 
smaller portions throughout the city, or still better, left as 
they are for special purposes, and at the same time smaller 



A Plea for Their Cause. 33 

parks provided every few squares ! Who cannot see the 
great advantages of such a system to the people's health, 
strength and happiness ? Who cannot see that it will redden 
the cheek, brighten the mind and gladden the heart, and 
make life much more worth living ? 

"Yes, it would be an excellent thing; but the land is 
too dear for it," is the answer that is always given to the 
above questions. I feel as if there is nothing more 
repulsive and detestable to the common-sense judgment 
than such statements as these. They mean nothing less 
than saying that the man is created for the land and not 
the land for the man ! Of course, the statement is true and 
overwhelming ; but this only makes it, or should make it, 
more despicable, as it gives the strongest possible reason 
why every instinct of justice in man should be aroused 
against it. It seems as if man never sank lower into forget- 
fulness of his obligations to the race than when he allowed 
the land to be monopolized by the few who were thus 
enabled to make slaves of the masses. What horrible con- 
duct of injustice there is to have hundreds of thousands of 
population in the cities suppressed and forced into conditions 
of fainting lives, lives which enfeeble and dwarf body and 
mind, simply because some few have monopolized the land 
(the value of which is due to the grouping of the sufferers 
themselves) with the mere purpose of squeezing more silver 



24 What Such Playgrounds Cah Accomplish. 

and gold from it ! No reason exists in the nature of things 
why the cities could not be put into healthful and cheerful 
conditions, but the rapacity of some few, and the careless- 
ness of, I would say, all the rest of the people. 

These are points to which few people pay much attention 
at present, and hence some may not understand altogether 
what is meant by these remarks. To such my advice is, 
pass them by. We cannot here go into the details of the 
discussion, and if we did so, it would be a departure from 
our subject. It came in our way, and I felt like touching it 
for the sake of those who know what is meant, but disagree 
or desire to disagree with these conclusions, and so continue 
on in their present way. If I am allowed to offer a word 
to such, I would plead with them to stop and consider the 
solemn principles of justice that are so ruthlessly trampled 
down by maintenance of the present system, and the heavy 
responsibility which rests upon them for the continuance of 
this state of affairs. I would beseech them not to lower their 
manly dignity by being recorded among those who have 
shared in crushing humanity for the sake of self-aggrandize- 
ment. I would remind them that nothing can make them so 
unhappy as leading lives which drag others into misery and 
degradation. Of course such persons may say that they did 
not bring into existence these conditions of injustice, — they 
are due to the existing social system ; and in this they are 



Remove Needless Suffering. 35 

right. But, though they did not make, it is they who sup- 
port them, and so, finally, it is they who are to be blamed 
for the existing state of affairs. 

Leaving this point of discussion with deep abhorrence 
for man's inhumanity to man, I wish to express a hope that 
the day will soon come when the wretched sufferers will 
come to themselves, rise up, and shake off these cruel mis- 
eries. Nine-tenths of them are needless and could easily 
be avoided. As Tolstoi says : ' Go through a crowd of 
people — preeminently city people ; examine those tired, 
anxious, wasted, faces ; remember your life and the lives of 
the men whom you have known intimately ; recall the vio- 
lent deaths, the suicides, of which you have heard, and ask 
yourself the reason of all this death, suffering and despair. 
You will see, however strange it may appear, that this suf- 
fering is useless, that it could be avoided, and that the ma- 
jority of men are martyrs to worldly ideas." Though 
Tolstoi does not specify these worldly ideas, the fact is 
plain that the " tired, anxious, wasted " faces cannot be 
otherwise so long as they breathe the same air and have 
their constant abode in clusters on the streets. And so let 
us hope again that the movement which is already on foot 
for supplying the cities with fresh air, sunlight and cheerful 
surroundings, will not be restricted to certain localities, but 
will continue until it reaches its full development. Let us 



36 What Such Playgrounds Can Acco??ipiish. 

hope that for the sake of the physical welfare of the young 
there will be provided plenty of open spaces where they 
may enjoy themselves, which alone means so much to their 
lives. 

But let us not forget the higher educational value of the 
physical welfare. " A sound mind in a sound body " 
the proverb says. By perfecting the animal life in man you 
are paving the way to the perfecting of the higher nature. 
As Dr. Newton says : " It is impossible to build perfect 
men except on perfect animals. Physical regeneration must 
precede the development of the spiritual life. Where the 
body is dwarfed for lack of fresh air, sunshine and healthful 
exercises, the educator has no material to work on ; the 
spiritual teacher receives no response to his appeals. Plati- 
tudes will not serve the children instead of play and sun- 

light.- 

Such would be the advantages of the playgrounds if 
they were merely open spaces, or, as we called them above, 
"wild playgrounds." The playgrounds of the model kind, 
like the one described, of course, will be much more advan- 
tageous. 

2. Such Playgrounds Will Bring Civil Order and 
Regularity.. — We often boast of being civilized people 

y 

and consider those who confusedly live, sleep and cook in 



Will Bri?ig Civil Order and Regularity. 37 

the same room, barbarians. Tumbled as they are in lots of 
ten or a dozen people into a small frame building, it is nat- 
ural to hear fusses and quarrels among them for lack of 
room: — "Move farther," "don't be in my way," "you 
always take the best place," " don't spread so much," 
" give me a chance," etc., is their quarrelsome language. 
We pity their stupid ignorance, and are amazed that they 
did not know enough to make the frame structure some- 
what larger, since it would not have made much difference 
in its cost. But have we ever stopped to think that socially, 
especially in the cities, we are in some respects even more 
barbarous than the uncivilized of to-day ? 

While there is plenty of land to supply every one of 
man's needs, there is hardly anything more unbecoming in 
a civilized community than to see traffic, playing children 
and pedestrians all mingled in the streets, and each one in- 
terfering with the other. We often hear their quarrels and 
frictions in the streets. The playing children lead all the 
rest in creating this confusion. They obstruct the way 
of the car driver and the motorman in almost every block. 
The grocer and the shopkeeper are constantly annoyed by 
them, while the more hardened among them are always 
ready to insult the old and the unfortunate, and to take part 
in any sort of mischief. But the greatest sufferers from the 
children on the streets are undoubtedly the policemen. In 



38 What Such Playgrounds Can Accomplish. 

some sections their heaviest duty all day long is to chase 
the children with their games from one corner and street to 
another, in a vain attempt to keep them from breaking 
windows, hurting passers-by, committing nuisances and 
breeding tumult and disorder. This is a truly barbarous 
state of affairs. 

Posterity with its ample playgrounds, where the chil- 
dren will always be found when not at home, at school, 
or at church, will look upon us to-day as victims of ignor- 
ance and negligence, as we look upon our rude and barbar- 
ous predecessors. 

Here lies a great field of work for many enthusiastic 
reformers. 

3. Another merit of the playgrounds is that they will 

GIVE COMFORT TO THE MOTHERS AT HOME AS WELL AS TO 
THE CHILDREN IN THEIR PLAY. 

One great burden from which mothers and families will 
undoubtedly be relieved when the community comes to un- 
derstand its duty in this respect is the constant nervousness 
concerning the children when they are not in the house. 
" Where is Charley, Mary." "Oh, he is in the street." 
" Hurry up and bring him in, before he is smashed by the 
cars." This is the constant thought of the mother and 
friends of the child. On the other hand, Charley is con- 



Comfort Mothers and Children. 39 

stantly disturbed and annoyed there, and hardly has an 
enjoyable moment. But to suppress and keep the child 
at home, they see that this is not a practicable remedy, 
either. His gregarious instincts are too strong for such 
a suppression. It would be imprisonment to him to 
be deprived of the privilege of mixing with his compan- 
ions. He must go out at any risk almost — this is what his 
nature requires. And so the only remedy for the evil is to 
provide proper playgrounds for him and his companions. 

4. They Develop Life and Bring Happiness. — Now we 
come to the inner, more essential sphere of our subject. 
All the above merits of the playgrounds, though very strong 
and sufficient to win victory for them, are rather external 
in value. They barely touch their inner life. These merits 
are, so to say — the cloth, not the man ; the body, not the 
soul and life. 

The most valuable service of the playgrounds is that 
rendered to the soul. One way through which it manifests 
its influence there is by making the youth happy and joy- 
ful, and, as one author says, " the first duty towards the 
child is to make him happy ; no good can he receive in the 
world which could make up for this." The whole strain 
of the child's life is toward happiness and joy. " Nature 
intends the periods of infancy and childhood to be periods 
of enjoyment." She plants the instinct for motion needed 



40 Uliat Such Playgrounds Can Accoi?iplish. 

for life and health which " the adult cannot hope for with- 
out constant forethought, watchfulness and self-denial." 

And how does the child obtain this happiness ? Certainly 
through plays, games and amusements. These constitute 
his ideal sphere of life. He is in nothing so eager as in 
play. ' ' Play and speech constitute the elements in which 
the child lives." It is in play that he spends most of his 
time and thought, and is really happy and joyful. "As 
soon as the activity of the senses — of the body and the 
limbs — is developed to such a degree that the child begins 
self-activity, he expresses even-thing through play. It is 
through play that the man of this period moves and acts 
for obtaining satisfaction to his soul." It gives him joy, 
pleasure and happiness which he can exchange with noth- 
ing in the world, often not even with the joy he receives from 
being in his mother's bosom. No one can throw his heart 
and soul more devotedly into his business than the child 
does into his play. It gives him freedom, contentment, inner 
and outer rest, and peace with the world. 

And all this strong instinct in children — let us impress it 
on our minds again — is not any artificial, external or trivial 
matter. "It is highly serious and of deep significance." 
It is an expression of the very inner nature of the child. 
It is the highest phase in child's life. " It is self-active, rep- 
resentative of the inner life from inner necessity and impulse. 



Develop Life and Bring Happiness. 41 

It is the child's Divine expression that brings to the sur- 
face the pure joy of the inner life, and blesses him with 
God's best beneficence — the sunshine of his soul. It is 
the purest, most spiritual activity of man at this stage — of 
the inner hidden natural life of man and all things. It holds 
the sources of all tliat is good. ' ' 

It is plain, then, why our first duty towards the child is 
to make him happy. By providing the necessities of his 
plays — cheerfulness and enjoyments of life — especially play- 
grounds as the centre of his plays, we will lay the founda- 
tion of a bright and serene life. This will reach the very 
bottom of the soul, will awake, vitalize and invigorate every 
living cell to action, scattering dullness, stupidity and 
melancholv of life. It is to the feeling's what knowledge 
is to the mind. Thus it will greatly raise the worth of 
human life. "A child that plays thoroughly with self- 
active determination, perservering until physical fatigue 
forbids, will surely be a thoroughly determined man, capa- 
ble of self-sacrifice for the promotion of the welfare of him- 
self and others." As Froebel says: "The plays of the 
children are the germinal leaves of all later life ; for the 
whole man is developed and shown in this, in his tenderest 
dispositions, in his innermost tendencies. If the child is 
injured at this period, therefore, if the germinal leaves of 
the future tree of his life are marred at this period, he will 



42 WJiat Such Playgrounds Can Accomplish. 

only with the greatest difficulty, and the utmost effort, grow 
into strong manhood ; he will only with the greatest diffi- 
culty escape in his farther development the stunting effects 
of the injury, or the one-sidedness it entails." 

But alas ! are not these germinal leaves marred most 
detrimentally? Are not the conditions of the child's happiness 
and enjoyment through play most sadly neglected ; not to 
say entirely uncountenanced ? Is there any period of human 
life that is so unprovided for as the child's period in its 
play ? Are not the ways of the child's comfortable play- 
ings blocked up, leaving his soul in misery and starvation ? 
Is there a more miserable condition of the child's life than 
this, to be so often rebuked for playing noisily in the house, 
or constantly tortured by the older children in the yard, or 
if he is on the streets, all these maltreatments are doubled 
or tripled by the various ruffians, police and the traffic ? 
Doesn't this as a rule describe the condition of the children ? 
" O, if the poor helpless little ones could only make an out- 
cry against all the ill-treatments that they have been receiv- 
ing in all the centuries passed and still receive to-day, and 
could protest against the outrages which they suffer, the 
world would be startled !" 

No abuse of human rights, for which revolutions and 
bloody wars have been waged and kingdoms overthrown, 
has ever surpassed the horror of trampling upon the 



Secure the Children 's Rights and Happiness. 43 

child's rights, and for whom no voice is raised ! The 
unfortunate little ones have had simply to bear their misery 
in silence, though it has resulted in shortening lives, 
ruining health, perversion of their souls, stunting of their 
minds ! I feel as if humanity should be covered in rags of 
sharrie and disgrace for committing such a horrid sin of de- 
priving the pure and angelic child of his " soul's nourish- 
ment," and thus turning him into paths of misery and 
degradation. It seems as if man has in no other way 
expressed his cruel injustice towards the weak, as he has 
done towards the helpless child. 

Of course this is due very largely to ignorance, but still 
the sin of negligence and carelessness occupies more than 
an immaterial place in this respect. The child's instinct of 
play, and the good results of satisfying it properly, are al- 
ways clear to the careful observer. There is no very deep 
secrecy in this. The value of the child's play was pretty 
plain to the ancients (as we indicated in the Introductory 
Remarks), and since then writers have called attention to it. 
The Scriptures also have indicated the blessings of the 
child's play. 

The chief thing that has been needed is turning attention 
and stirring public sentiment towards taking up and devel- 
oping this vital branch of human interests. And so, to re- 
peat, it is man's negligence towards his best welfare that 



44 What Such Playgrounds Can Accomplish. 

has brought disaster in his life in this as in many other re- 
spects. It is because he has "paid more attention to the 
circulation of the stars than to the circulation of his own 
blood." 

By mortifying the child in this manner, man has brought 
horrid calamities upon himself. Many of the miseries which 
humanity has experienced in the past, and experiences to- 
day, would not have come at all if the necessities for the 
harmonious development of the child were provided. By 
depriving them of the sources of happiness and joy, the 
children have been brought up intellectual, moral, and spir- 
itual cripples — men and women afflicted with dullness, stup- 
idity, melancholv, indolence, etc. 

Thus the machine of the normal life has been broken, 
and the possibilities of their growing into manhood and 
womanhood have been removed. As James Currie says : 
" Let the child dwell in misery — and we shall see plainly 
discernible in the looks and actions of the youth, and of the 
man, malignity of temper, deadness of feeling, low cunning 
and unscrupulousness ; nothing ingenious, nothing benign, 
nothing really intelligent do we discover. We have seen the 
plant blighted when the biting frost nips its sensitive shoots : 
such is childhood passed under the wintry gloom of misery, 
instead of the sunshine of happiness." 



Brighten Life a?id Bring Happiiiess. 



45 



And is not this what we find, especially among city 
people ? The pains, sorrows, deformities, uncontrolled 
passions, idiocies, vanities, animosities, " evaporated " and 
blighted lives, which are so prevalent among people, 
more so even than thoughtful observers notice, are due to 
stunting and destroying the germs of vitality, energy and 
sanity, by depriving the child of the sources of happi- 
ness. Under such circumstances it appears to me that 
Froebel was a very generous optimist when he said that 
the " child will only with the greatest difficulty and 
utmost effort grow into strong manhood and escape the 
stunting effects of his injuries." It is hard to see how he 
could escape these effects at any cost. 

Now it must speak for itself that we must go to the bottom 
of the evil and begin aright with the child. We must open 
the avenues to his full and harmonious development by 
supplying food to the feelings as well as to the mind, and 
thus create proper manhood and womanhood. In order to 
be more practical in this respect, I consider it advantageous 
to say that studying the works and methods of the 
Culture Extension League may be found helpful to all de- 
siring to share in attaining these ideal results. The League 
is based on clear vision, deep understanding, and practical 
methods as regarding the playgrounds, and in other matters 
that concerns the proper training of the youth. 



46 What Such Playgrounds Can Accomplish. 

5. The Playgrounds are Indispensable to Formation 
of Ideal Character — In the above paragraph I endeavored 
to show that by depriving the children of proper play- 
grounds, which are the centre of their playing, amusements 
and enjoyments, we are killing many seeds of vitality, life, 
energy, and are bringing them up more or less in dullness, 
stupidity, distraction, delinquency — in short — psychological 
as well as physical cripples. 

Now I will try to show that the model playgrounds, 
while giving life and power, are at the same time serving to 
shape these forces of life into proper forms and harmony of 
action, and thus build up an ideal character — the destiny of 
life. In pursuing this line of thought I would ask the favor 
of special attention in following the gradual steps that are 
to be taken. 

{a) What is Character ? I have before me a large num- 
ber of definitions of it. They claim character to be : " Pro- 
duct of infinity of little accidents," an " impulse reined 
down into steady continuance ; " " result of stereotyped 
principles;" "victory organized;" "the governing ele- 
ment in life;" "fruit of personal exertions;" "result of 
one's own endeavors," etc. 

Now it appears to be pretty plain that if we trace up 
these and other definitions of character analytically, we will 
find that they could be brought under one common "denomi- 



They Form Habits and Character. 47 

nation," namely, that character is an accumulation of habits. 
Some attribute to character, in addition to habits, also na- 
ture and environment, but they seem to forget that these 
factors have to do just about as much with the for- 
mation of habits, and that, although they are separate fac- 
tors, their contribution to character comes through the path 
of habit. 

Our claim of character being an accumulation of habits 
is sustained not only by the great similarity between the 
definitions of habits and character — and still greater simi- 
larity between the directions that are given for attaining 
them ; but some authors have defined character almost lit- 
erally as we did, as the following expressions will show : 

"Character has its chief support in moral habits;" 
" Man is a bundle of habits." " Habit passes with its 
owner into a world where destiny is determined by char- 
acter, and character is the aim and expression of all preced- 
ing habits." The following definition of character could 
be applied word for word in defining some noted habits : 
"It is an artificial whole, made up of the interply of ten 
thousand threads. Every faculty is a spinner, spinning 
every day its thread, and almost every day's thread of a 
different color ; and character is made up by the weaving 
together of all these innumerable threads of daily life. Its 
strength is not merely in the strength of some simple unit ; 
but in the strength of numerous elements." 



48 What Such Playgrounds Can Accomplish. 

And so, let us fix in our minds the first step in this scale 
of our thought, namely, that character, the acquirement of 
which is a supreme object of human life, could so fortun- 
ately be simplified in such a comprehensive definition, as 
being — not a habit, but an accumulation of habits. In 
other words, habits are to the character what the bricks, 
mortar and lumber are to the building. 

A godly character is to be accustomed or in habit to live, 
act, strive, work and behave as our conscience and highest 
conceptions of duty in the best light dictate. To have our 
knowledge and practice thoroughly harmonized. To be 
fully consistent in our manner of life as beings created after 
God's image. " Habit with its iron sinew clasps and leads 
us day by day," and so if we watch over the formation of 
proper habits, the character is saved. 

(&) How are Habits Formed ? This is the second step in 
our scale of thought. One way of putting the formation 
of habit is this : It is formed by continued repetition of 
an act, or prolonged imitation of an example, or conscious 
thinking or pondering over a notion that has attracted the 
attention and impressed the mind. " Thought leads to ac- 
tion ; acts ripen into habit, and the permanent result is the 
formation or establishment of a character." " Sow an act, 
and you reap habit, sow a habit and you reap character." 
Some even say : " Do what you know, and perception is 
converted into character." 



How Habits are Formed. 



49 



This process of habit-formation extends to all the ac- 
tions, steps, looks, words and conduct of man, in all the 
avenues of his life, where intelligence and will dominate, 
whether directly or indirectly. It is from these thinnest 
avenues of life that the habits begin to flow into streams, 
brooks and rivers, to make the sea of character. They are — 
" like flakes of snow that fall imperceptibly upon the earth " 
as these snow-flakes gather, so our habits are formed. No 
single flake that is added to the pile produces a sensible 
change, no single act creates or thought exhibits man's 
character ; but as the tempest hurls the avalanche down the 
mountains and overwhelms the inhabitant and his habi- 
tation, so may passion — acting in the elements of mischief, 
which pernicious habits have brought together — overthrow 
the edifice of truth and virtue." 

Let us pass on, therefore, bearing in mind that habits are 
formed by repeating actions and imitating examples. 

(c) But What do We Repeat and Imitate ? To be grad- 
ual in our discussion, I would say again, we repeat in action 
and imitate things that have attracted the attention, impressed 
the mind and touched the heart. The impulse towards action 
comes from the thought that is alive in the mind. But the 
thoughts and impressions that live in the mind, and stim- 
ulate to repeated action, are such as interest us, that please 
us, and give us satisfaction. We certainly seldom think of 



50 What Such Playgrounds Ca?i Accomplish. 

and easily forget other thoughts. " We imitate only what 
we believe, admire, or have pleasure in. We act as our in- 
terest dictates ; for interest speaks all languages, plays all 
parts, and often makes things interesting that are uninterest- 
ing in themselves." 

(d) And What is it That the Children are Most Interested 
in and Led by ? Certainly their plays, amusements and en- 
joyments. It is these that stimulate their feelings, and the 
child is led mostly by feeling, not by thought. As we stated 
in the last chapter, it is in nothing else that the child cen- 
tralizes so much of his attention and action as .in play. Play 
is child's greatest pleasure and enjoyment. No man can con- 
centrate more attention and be more devoted to his work than 
the child to his play. His heart and soul go in it, and 
there he finds his greatest delight and happiness. Observe 
the child's life — ask teachers, the parents, and the chil- 
dren themselves, and you will get answers confirming these 
statements. Children who show no interest in play, 
or play in a slow and spiritless manner, are not always the 
best type of children, as has been already indicated, and one 
of the best ways through which their friends can improve 
them is by developing the appetite for play. 

[e) But one step farther. What kind of play does the child 
enjoy best? Of course such that consist in running, jump- 
ing, quick motions — in a word, physical exhaustion. As 



The Plays That Influence the Child Most. 51 

soon as he steps on his feet, he begins moving around, wrest- 
ling with the chairs, tables and other furniture, runs from 
corner to corner, from one room into another, climbs up and 
down stairs untiringly until physical fatigue forbids. He gets 
scolded and perhaps whipped a dozen times for the noise 
aroused, mischief made, and the disorder produced in the 
house, and is constantly ordered to keep quiet ; but you 
might just as well try to suppress the steam in a boiling 
vessel or the force of burning fire. The child must act in 
this way, as the fire must burn and the water boil. 

All these indoor playings, however, are rather trivial 
matters to him. What he really wants and craves is to be 
out in the open air, to join other children and throw him- 
self heart and soul into running, shouting, jumping, gambol- 
ing to his heart's content. This is the strongest instinct in 
a right kind of a child, and it is as hard to keep him in the 
house when he feels like going out, as it is to keep him 
quiet while he is in the house. 

Therefore, if character depends so much on habits, and 
if habits are formed by repetition of acts and imitation of 
examples set by the ideas and impressions in the mind, and 
if the ideas and impressions that govern the child's life and 
actions are pre-eminently those that come from his play, 
pleasurable and enjoyable exercises, especially with his 



52 What Such Playgrounds Can Accomplish. 

companions in the open spaces, it follows that in order to de- 
velop proper character — the chief purpose of human life — 
we must turn most careful attention towards taking ample 
and thoroughly organized and systematized measures for the 
children 's playings, amusements and enjoyments, especially 
playgrounds as the central focus of play. It is in these 
that we must centralize our thought and action in bringing 
about reforms that will create educational conditions able 
to produce manly and womanly character. As we have 
already stated, the playground will educate the feeling as 
the school educates the mind, and both are necessary sup- 
plements to each other for man's perfection. 



IV. 

Jftotfertt IBoctrmesi of Character ffiefoelopment 

Before bringing more evidence in favor of the above 
conclusion, let us see some of the objectionable sides to it. 

By taking this position regarding character develop- 
ment, I feel as if we are facing many teachings, doctrines, 
theories, traditions and educational systems on each side, 
which claim or are considered to be the agencies for doing 
this work. 

Let us first state them and then show their weaknesses. 

Here, for instance, come most of the educators with all 
their rich literature, prominent institutions, distinguished 
leaders, elaborate theories, strongly organized and systema- 
tized efforts, and join voices together in saying that " the 
school is pre-eminently the place where opportunity is given 
for character building." They seem to realize that educa- 
tion is the divinely-appointed teacher of life, and have em- 
bodied it in strongest language possible. Many have com- 
prehended what a true education should accomplish. " It 
will," they say, " awake love for truth, giving a just sense 
of duty," and " open the eyes of the soul to the greatest 
purpose and end of life." " It makes man happiest in him- 



54 Modern Doctrines Regarding Character Development. 

self and most serviceable to others. It gives to the soul 
recourses that will endure so long as life endures ; habits 
that time will ameliorate — not destroy." " It inculcates prin- 
ciples, polishes taste, regulates temper, cultivates reason, 
subdues the passions, directs the feelings," etc. 

In order to accomplish all this, they agree that the work 
must begin with the child. They differ pretty widely on 
some points regarding the methods through which education 
will bring about these results ; but they all claim that the 
chief place for obtaining it is between the walls of instruc- 
tion — the place of acquiring knowledge — the books, object 
lessons, and the example of the teacher. Take any educa- 
tional book, any periodical, listen to any address, any 
educational discussion, and you will find that parents, 
teachers, statesmen, all the educational gatherings every- 
where, are clustered in the school-room — "the divine in- 
stitution," — to discuss the question of instruction. " Some 
maintain that the 'three R's' furnish sufficient material for 
the education of childhood, while others believe that the 
less practical subjects of history, literature, science, are 
better adapted to prepare for the struggle of life after leav- 
ing the school-room." 

They seem to see that in spite of all their efforts in this 
direction, they have attained but little success in bringing 
about their hi^h ideal of life and character. That while 



Schools Give Knowledge, not Character. 55 

they have succeeded in imparting knowledge that reaches 
to the heavens, the depths of the earth and the most hidden 
mysteries of nature, they practically " have as yet failed to 
develop the highest and best types of manhood and 
womanhood." They see that the question as to whether 
the world is getting any better or not, morally, remains 
a question, however much it may have advanced in 
knowledge and wisdom. They see that evil flourishes 
among the " educated " just as much, if not more, than 
among the ignorant ; that many who have passed through 
all the grades of " education " have become double- 
edged swords in the hands of the devil for purposes of 
evil, while "a good many were entirely ruined by it, and 
were finally turned out as pedants, prigs or idiots," etc. 

But the reason for this failure of education, they say, is 
because something is wrong with the material and method 
of instruction. " Wipe it out and let us begin it all afresh." 
Change the subjects taught ; teach the children morality ; 
give them lessons on temperance ; teach them obedience, 
and in order to make them patriotic, teach them the duties 
of citizenship. Observe order in the school. Give them 
right thoughts and they will live right. Teach them love 
towards their fellowmen, pride in themselves and self-re- 
spect. Meanwhile, be no less careful touching the methods ; 
for " teaching, to-day, is not so much a question of knowl- 



56 Modern Doctrines Regarding Character DeveIop??ient. 

edge as of method — of the power of imparting knowledge." 
But after all this, we ask : how about people know- 
ing so much and practising so little ? How about the fact 
that " nothing is so common to-day as knowing the right 
and practising the wrong " ? How can you make people 
better by giving them more knowledge ? The schools may, 
and they do, send the pupil out with a large and varied 
store of valuable information — with perceptions sharpened, 
memory strengthened, and judgment rectified; but they 
have not succeeded in making man follow truth, justice and 
goodness. How do you account for these facts that seem 
to exist even in the midst of most perfect school education ? 
Well, says the educator, this is due, finally, to the sinful 
nature of man, which it is difficult to change. It has been 
always such, and looks as if it never would be better. You 
may check and suppress his evil acts by laws, courts and 
police, but you can hardly ever do anything beyond this. 

Here is, then, where educators stand to-day. They talk 
of the divine mission of education ; realize that it should 
begin with the child ; claim that it consists mainly in school 
instruction, mostly by imparting knowledge ; are strongly 
debating among themselves as to the best method of in- 
culcating more and better knowledge, and in the meantime 
have no logical answer regarding the fact that there is an 
immense amount of knowledge, of the best kind, that is 



Home Influence Over Character. 57 

either lying idle in the human mind or very improperly 
used. 

2. Next comes the philosopher, who claims that the 
home, the mother, is the real moulder of the child's charac- 
ter. All other factors are considered of secondary import- 
ance. The school education can do " infinitely less " re- 
garding this than we have come to expect, his teaching 
says. "The normal and real principles of education can 
only be imparted at home and not in barracks and convents. 
The moral, religious and social stimulus of education ought 
to rise mainly there, and its groundwork should come from 
the parents. There is no other way." 

And what charges have not been poured upon the heads, 
especially of the mothers, for the evil ways of their chil- 
dren ! They have been charged with ignorance, negligence, 
unfitness for their duty, carelessness and other delinquen- 
cies, perhaps more than any other responsible class of per- 
sons. To the fact that many mothers have been careful, 
watchful and prayerful, and still their children go astray, 
it is answered that they have not done enough. They 
are considered as "absorbed in the struggle for existence 
and the race for gain," and thus lose sight of that highest 
gain which results from bringing their children up to true 
manhood and womanhood. 



58 Modern Doctrines Regarding Character Development. 

Co-operative housekeeping has been recommended in 
order to release the mothers from domestic duty ; maternal 
instruction of the girls in the schools, and other measures 
have been urged in order to supply the community with 
mothers worthy of the name. Here is about where this 
philosophy now stands. 

3. Then comes the churchman. He claims that build- 
ing character without religion is futile. " Teach the child the 
Scriptures, the will of God and His righteousness, and 
you have laid the foundation of his character." " Civili- 
zation, law, order, morality, the family, all that elevates and 
ennobles humanity, that builds up personal and social char- 
acter, comes from Christianity. Therefore, take strong 
hold of this principle in every effort to elevate the man." 

Many educators agree with this dictum. Looking on 
one side at the godly mission of religion, with its eternal 
principles of truth, and on the other at the failure of the 
educational efforts in the past to create character, they 
seem to come to the conclusion that if these divine principles 
of truth and fear of God are inculcated in the child's mind, 
they may produce fruits of godly character. 

To carry these ideas into practice, the believers work 
even harder than the educators do in their sphere. Some 
Christian sects have been making and are still making 
desperate efforts to introduce religious instruction into the 



Religious Influence Over Character. 59 

public schools. Many parents are endeavoring to instruct 
their children in religion at home. But the greatest efforts 
in this line are made in the Sunday schools. The idea that 
the Sunday school is the moral instructor of the child, as the 
public school is his intellectual, seems to be well fixed in the 
popular mind. The chief, not to say the only, work of the 
church for the moral development of the young is the 
Sunday school. If a Sunday school flourishes somewhere, 
this seems to be considered sufficient to indicate moral pros- 
perity. 

Another feature of the religious view upon this subject, 
however, goes farther and deeper. Considering " the sin- 
ful nature of man," it holds that nothing can develop an 
ideal character but the regenerating power of the Holy 
Spirit. Convert the boy and the girl, convert the man and 
the woman, let them turn from evil, forsake sin and serve 
God, and He will save them and keep them. They must 
not depend upon their strength, but in all trials and temp- 
tations look unto Him through faith and prayer, and He 
will send His angels to minister unto them. In order to 
know the will of God, let them read the Bible, read it care- 
fully and ask the Spirit to help them understand it rightly. 

How far this is scriptural, and whether all theologians 
agree with it or not, I am not prepared to say ; neither does 
it belong here to discuss it. But this seems to be the pre- 



60 Modern Doctrines Regarding Character Developtnent. 

vailing notion among Christians, and towards this end are 
directed all the forces of the church, in whatever shape or 
form they may be found operating for the purpose of elevat- 
ing human character. 

But, now, these brethren are just as inconsistent and 
illogical in their claim as we saw the educators were in 
theirs. We again ask : how is it that religion, even the 
Christian religion, has had such slight success in rooting 
out the evil from nations and communities over which it has 
been dominant for centuries ? It certainly has had time 
enough for that. How is it that so many of the in- 
mates in prisons, penitentiaries, houses of correction and 
the like are so often reported as having been Sunday school 
scholars in their early years ? How is it that jealousy, self- 
ishness, greed, vanity, animosity, carnality, worldliness, 
indifference toward the rights of others, and all such-like 
bitter characteristics prevail so much among Christians, 
— among Biblical Christians, — among those who have 
been recognized as regenerated by the Holy Spirit and ac- 
cepted in the church, and would it not be right to say some- 
times even among ministers, as among non-Christians ? 
How is it that it is so hard to distinguish Christian from 
non-Christian in their practical life, except that one goes to 
church and the other does not ? How is it that even to- 
day, at the end of the so much boasted of nineteenth cen- 



Evil and Religion Grow Together. 61 

tury, the day of steam and electricity, and when religion is 
considered most rapidly growing, " iniquity and evil spreads 
all around us, touches us on every side, threatens omi- 
nously the very foundations of life " ? How is it that "the 
whole tendency in social and other life, among Christians as 
well as among non-Christians, is to elevate self by pulling 
down one's fellows " ? Is it not startling to see students 
of human progress write : " Selfishness, avarice, covetousness 
and disregard of others' rights have always and everywhere 
been abounding among men ; but never in any age has 
greed been what greed is to-day " ? All these things are 
facts, at least as a rule. How can you account for them, 
when they flourish in this advanced Christian period, and 
amidst Christian communities, where " there is enormous 
multiplication of churches and Christian efforts of all kinds, 
attended with lavish expenditure of money and labor to 
oppose them" ? Can it be true that the millions in the Chris- 
tian church to-day, as well as in times past, among whom 
these evils existed, have been deceitful and hypocritical ? 

To all these, our deeply-sorrowful brother answers, 
among other things, that the reasons are because the chains 
of the devil are so strong, the waves of the world are so 
sweeping, the fallen man has sunk so deep in sin, that it is 
extremely difficult for him to rise sufficiently in the world's 
scale and grasp the uplifting hand of God. What he must 



62 Weaknesses of the Above Doctrines. 

do is to forget himself more and more, while looking unto 
God for greater abundance of His grace. Let him kneel 
before Him in tears and penitence and cry for His greater 
mercy, through the redeeming blood of the Saviour, and 
he will be saved from evil. This is, then, the farthest point 
to which this view of the church has reached. 



Weaknesses of the Above Doctrines. 

Now, I will be the last one to depreciate, in any measure 
whatever, the value of knowledge, the sweet influences and 
responsibilities of the mother, the supreme importance of 
knowing and following the will of God, or the advantages 
of strongly-determined will to do what is right. All these 
agencies in their different spheres by doing their own part 
contribute immensely in raising man up to his destiny. 
What I claim is that the complex human nature has more 
and more diversified branches of interest, and that when 
we look into the needs of man, scientifically, and the agen- 
cies that seem to be naturally assigned to minister unto them, 
among other things we find that the strongest agency for 
educating the child's character has been put aside, and 
others to which it does not belong so directly have been 
called to take its place. Thus the result of all this has 
been disastrous. Therefore, unless we proceed in accordance 



Educational Deficiencies in Building Character. 63 

with the natural order of things, man can never be brought 
up in the fulness and completeness of character and ideal 
life as he is destined to be. 

Let me explain this briefly by taking the above teachings 
separately. 

1. Knowledge is power and light, as life is power. It is 
man's duty to acquire it. The school or the place of in- 
struction is where it can be obtained. But it is one thing 
to. get possession of this power, and an entirely different thing 
to transform it into the activities of the mind, the heart, 
the sentiments, and the conscience, and thus move the 
machine of life as was naturally intended it should do. 
The educators to-day are concentrating their greatest ener- 
gy in piling into the child's mind knowledge, instruction, 
information of one kind or other. Some think they do more 
than this, but they " only think so." The terms which they 
use in their writings and expressions on the subject of educa- 
ation, however, cover nearly the entire educational scope. 
They say, for instance, that education of the mind alone is 
insufficient: that education should consist in training the body, 
the soul and the mind equally ; that education of the three- 
fold nature of the child should always be kept in view. 
That it should not consist only in instruction, but also in 
guidance, etc. But when one comes down to their practi- 
cal work, and endeavors to find out through that what they 



64 Weaknesses of the Above Doctrines. 

really mean, he will discover that about all that is meant is 
pointing out differences in the kind of mental instruction 
or imparting of knowledge. It means something like this : 
in addition to teaching the children some good ideas, telling 
them also how good it is for them to follow these ideas, or 
how good it would be if they do what is right. But this, 
as I said, is simply another kind of instruction or know- 
ledge. It is not training them to actually live as they know 
they should. The only practical thing that it contains is 
the gymnastic exercise, which some schools have intro- 
duced for the physical development of the young ; but 
this is a comparatively trivial matter, and so far as assisting 
the development of the character is concerned, it is almost 
next to zero. 

And so, to make the children good by merely telling them 
to be good, and may be punishing them if they do not obey, 
as is widely practiced by the educational machinery to- 
day, is about as wise and as successful as making artisans 
by merely giving them lectures on art without guiding 
their hands in practice, or making physicians without prac- 
tical experiments on actual cases, or even like feeding the 
children by merely telling them what food is and how much 
good it can do to them. Is it strange that the educators 
fail to produce character by acting in this way ? It is 
really amazing to find that they fail to see that their means 
and methods cannot accomplish their ends. 



Causes of the Educators' Mistakes. 65 

The principal notion which has led the educators into 
this position undoubtedly is that of judging the children by 
the adults. It is supposed that about all that the latter need 
and practically all that can be done with them is to give 
them the right ideas, right principles, correct knowledge, 
and then leave them alone. Such, it seems, is considered to 
be the case regarding the children; giving them knowledge 
of everything that concerns their lives ; teaching them " the 
delicate structure of their brains and nervous systems so that 
their reason shall always lead them to temperance and self- 
control." Let them be made to " know the effects of stimu- 
lants, and what habits of sleep, exercise, diet, concentra- 
tion, leisure, etc., are most likely to promote their vigor 
and strength." Show them " their errors and make them 
know the principles at the foundation of the right ways of 
living and acting," and then leave them alone. 

If the children do not live and act according to these in- 
structions, it is often attributed to the weakness of human 
nature, and therefore they are maybe forced to obedience 
through various forms of punishment. At least such is the 
impression we receive by observing the educational prac- 
tices, listening to educational addresses, or reading the 
educational literature. 

All this, however, is mistake. The child is a distinct indi- 



66 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

vidual element of human life, and cannot be compared with 
the adult in such a manner. 

" Childhood has ways of seeing, thinking, feeling, pecu- 
liar to itself ; and nothing is more absurd than to wish to 
substitute ours in their place." We " always expect to 
find the man in the child, without thinking of what the 
child is before he i^ a man." 

" The truth is that the child is robbed of his right as a 
child by our everlastingly thinking of him only as the com- 
ing man. We shall not make a perfect child of him by for- 
cing him into an adult mould. Even Jesus had to be a baby 
before he could become a man." " It is dangerous," says 
the immortal Froebel, " to interfere in any way with a 
ripening process." 

One main feature which distinguishes the child from the 
adult consists in this, that the former is led in his actions 
by feelings rather than by thought. As one writer puts it, 
" The children have wants and passions before they are 
capable of reasoning." Whatever thought there is in his 
mind, it concerns not so much what the old considers good 
or bad, beneficial or harmful, but how to satisfy that boiling 
passion in him for play, pleasure and enjoyment that make 
him happy. Next to hunger and thirst this is the strongest 
instinct in him. He will break any law, disobey any com- 



Impertinent Requirements from the Mother. 6 7 

mand, ignore any advice, disregard any teaching that may 
come in the way of satiating this passion. This strong in- 
stinct he must satisfy, honestly and beneficially may be, if 
he can ; but at any rate it should be satisfied. 

For this the child throws his heart and soul into play 
with his companions, and opens all the perceptive avenues 
of his mind to observe, absorb, imitate and reproduce in 
action what he sees, hears, and is surrounded by. Other 
thoughts and advice are forgotten or put aside at his play. 
All these influences in return shape the forces of his life into 
habits or tendencies of conduct and manners of living which 
manifest themselves through what we call character. 

And so it must be plain that for the sake of the child's 
character — which means so much the man's character as 
well — the greatest attention should be turned towards the 
child's play. It is on the playground that the educators 
must look for a very large portion of what they have been 
so diligently seeking in the school-room. 

2. The case regarding the mothers being the instrumen- 
tality for the character development stands on similar 
merits. I say again I am the last to depreciate the influ- 
ence of the mother over the child, and the last to say that 
we should not strive to obtain ideal mothers, which the 
community seems to lack so much. That " the education 



68 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

of the child shall begin with his grandmother " must never 
be forgotten. Next to inherited characteristics, the mother 
has the greatest influence over the child during his infancy, 
and a considerable amount of influence during the period of 
his youth. 

But we must impress it just as strongly upon our minds 
that nothing more impracticable can be recommended in 
this matter than to say that the mother should take sole 
charge of the development of her offspring's character ; 
and it is a heavy injustice to blame her every time for the 
evil ways of her children. Especially after he becomes con- 
scious of himself and steps on his feet, the child flees out of 
his mother's bosom as the young bird does from the nest, 
and she must either follow him, and run, jump and romp 
as he does, or else leave him to the mercy of the circum- 
stances. And is not this just what happens ? She sees 
his constant faults ; she instructs him gently or rebukes 
and punishes him ; advises him kindly or commands him 
to behave well, to stay at home and not to run among the 
bad boys ; to be good, quiet, obedient, etc. But what does 
all this amount to ? She might just as well speak to the 
fire not to burn, or the blood in his veins not to run. He 
prefers to stand all the whippings and scoldings, if some 
manufactured excuses cannot save him, than to suppress 
that boiling impulse of play. Can you imagine, by the way, 



Must Not Play But Obey. 69 

a stronger way of forcing the children into untruthfulness 
and unfaithfulness toward their parents as well as toward 
others than such circumstances as these ? 

This reminds us of the " everlasting " question of the 
children disobeying their parents, which to-day seems to be 
more pronounced in some respects than it has been in times 
past. Does it not appear that this question contains a good 
deal of what is unreasonable and even an imposition upon 
the youth ? The children disobey their parents mostly when 
the latter interfere too much with their play and enjoyable 
occupations. And in this the children cannot, they will 
not, and, we may venture to say, they must not obey their 
parents, if it means suppressing and smothering the 
strongest and most uplifting impulse of duty which this 
period of life requires from them, namely, to play. They 
must have plenty of time for free playing, under guidance, 
for reaching out to broader and higher development of 
their faculties. The fire of play is burning, and it must 
burn ; it is unnatural to stop it. All that should be done 
is to shape and regulate it so as to warm up and vivify the 
house and not destroy it. To extinguish it will mean to 
extinguish the life of the child's energy, brightness, 
serenity, vivacity, etc., as we already saw in the third chap- 
ter. How sad to think that the tendency so far has been 



70 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

to either extinguish, destroy or deform the character and 
the life of the man ! 

Some writers have commended the suppression of this 
burning instinct of play, because otherwise the child may 
become too loose and uncontrollable in life. 

While in this there may be something worth considering, 
still we must be on guard against the word " suppression." 
The children who " want always to play " are those who 
are full of life and sensibilities, and it is unsafe to say that 
they should be suppressed. They should not be suppressed 
but guided. Let this energy be occupied in some pleasure- 
able kindergarten or manual training exercises as well as 
given enough opportunities for running and romping to 
the full heart's content in the model playgrounds. Then 
they will be prepared to pay proper attention toward the 
work assigned to them when it is time for work, as well as 
obtain properly developed, manly and womanly characters, 
good to themselves and to the community. The mothers 
often suppress the children simply because they have to ; 
and they always will have to unless the community steps in 
and provides the necessities to the children's enjoyment. 

3. Our brother, the churchman, who maintains that 
Christianity has not raised human character higher than it 
has done because man has sunk too deep in sin, or because 
the worldly influences are too strong, or even because man 



Over- Dependence Upon Religion. 71 

is altogether unwilling to be better, is also mistaken. The 
reasons for this are quite different. We will look upon 
them from two standpoints : 

(a) Christianity has not done away with evil even in com- 
munities which have been Christian for centuries, because 
such is not altogether its function. 

Undoubtedly there are some who will at once lift up their 
hands and say : " How could this be ! " But it is a fact 
that we have been taxing the Holy Spirit too much. We 
have been depending upon Him for results which it is not 
on His part to produce. We have been expecting to receive 
as manna from heaven some things, which God, on the con- 
trary, has stored within our reach, but which we can obtain 
only through our own exertions, and not through the gift 
of the Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit serves our spiritual or religious needs, 
and gives peace, joy and holy desires. Through the Bible 
He also enlightens the mind about God, the Creator of the 
universe, and His relations toward us, as science enlightens 
it (the mind) about the creation. But the Spirit does not 
take care, properly speaking, of those departments of life 
which God has subjected to other agencies. The Spirit 
does not govern flesh and blood; neither is He governed by 
flesh and blood. We cannot depend on the Holy Spirit to 
supply our moral needs (natural goodness, subject to the 



72 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

proper training of the faculties, shaping the habits and 
directing the tendencies of life aright in due time) any more 
than we can depend on the fresh air to satisfy our hunger, 
though we must admit that between spirituality and moral- 
ity there is a relationship similar to the relationship that ex- 
ists between the functions of the lungs and those of the 
nutrition. The natural order of things, as it is Divinely 
established, must be strictly observed, if success is desired. 
This order has not been observed in the endeavors for the 
moral elevation of man, and to this are due the failures of 
diminishing very materially the evil in the world. 

The understanding of the right processes of the formation 
of man's character, is, on the one hand, so directly the object 
of our discussions ; and, on the other, so prevalent seems to 
be the belief that religion, through the Holy Spirit, is the 
factor for the extermination of the moral evil and for the 
elevation of human character, that we have made special 
efforts to review what we believe to be the right relations be- 
tween religion and man's character in a supplementary part 
attached at the end, to which the reader is referred for fur- 
ther particulars. There we have endeavored to present the 
claims of the church in this respect, as well as have tried to 
show how far these claims are based on wrong conceptions, 
to which are due the failures of the church to more effectu- 
ally uplift human character. 



Over-Dependence Upon Religion. 73 

(b) The second reason why Christianity has made so little 
progress in rooting out evil from the world and elevating 
human character lies in the fact that man is not in his 
normal state — the natural machinery of his life being too 
much hindered to be productive of such good results. 

Though it is not within the sphere of religion even in its 
perfect state to master and control those departments of 
man's life which God has subjected to other (natural) agen- 
cies, still th lofty ideas and principles which Christianity 
implants into the mind, the sweetness of feeling, purity 01 
tastes and noble desires which the Spirit gives, would have 
been far more helpful in the perfection of human character 
were it not for the fact that the natural life in which these 
Divine influences work is in a very abnormal state ; the 
temple in which the Spirit dwells is, so to say, damaged. 

In common conversation, for instance, the remark : 
" everybody is more or less crazy," is often made. This 
contains more truth than even those who utter it apparently 
think. It has been repeatedly confirmed by the best thinkers 
and writers, though not expressed in the same language. 
" Weak," " infirm," " nerveless," " shaky," " unbalanced/-" 
" wavering," " unstable," and others are but expressions of 
different phases and degrees of disordered organism. It is a 
lack of self-control, and " want of self-control is the weak- 
ness of our nature." We see it manifested all the time and 



74 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

among all classes. How common it is, for instance, to see 
people " lose their heads," — their judgment, as it were, — be- 
comes overtaken by uncontrolled passion, and commit hor- 
rid acts ; then turn around, regret having done it, and after 
that do it over again. How often it is that one person be- 
comes intensely jealous of another, ready to destroy him if 
he could, without any reasonable cause for it. How com- 
mon it is among people of apparently the best of circum- 
stances to feel stupid, gloomy, despairing, nervous, — mo.-t un- 
happy, — without being able to explain wherefore. The rich 
monopolists of to-day who have piled up millions upon 
millions, and have multiplied sources of wealth to last them 
for generations, cannot tell you why they bribe govern- 
ments, corrupt legislatures and oppress the poor laborers 
for the sake of obtaining more money, unless it be to satisfy 
a mad passion for gain. This is one of the most serious 
forms of unrestrained man acting abnormally to the detri- 
ment of the community. Nothing is more universally 
recognized by the people than the fact that an honest, up- 
right, conscientious life affords the real source of happiness, 
and that evil-doing breeds misery. This, it may be said, is 
the song of the poet, the thought of the philosopher, and the 
testimony of the daily participant in life ; and still we know 
that the most common thing among people is knowing the 
good and practicing the evil ; preaching about and com- 



The Human System Deranged. 75 

mending the right, and following the wrong. The right 
that blesses them is put " on the scaffold," while the wrong 
that ruins them is " on the throne." 

All this weakness is caused by the fact that the machinery 
of man's life is not in its normal condition. Man, as man, 
has no control of himself, and he cannot help it. No matter 
how enlightened his intellect, how sharp his conscience and 
how pure, Christian, Godly, his desires are, he finds himself 
in some respects unable to harmonize his practical life ac- 
cordingly. The will often is present, but he is too weak to 
•do as he wills. No matter how much he hates it, he is 
forced to do things he does not want, as he must bear sick- 
ness reluctantly. The fibres which sustain these virtues are 
broken. 

And all this is due, not to natural depravity or predes- 
tined sinfulness ; but so in defiance of the laws and needed 
conditions of life that give the proper strength and self- 
control. Man is deprived of those intellectual, physical, 
•esthetic, brightening, inspiring and invigorating necessities 
for the enrichment and development of the soul, without 
which never could be had a balanced, harmonious, self- 
possessed and self-controlled life. From infancy the aver- 
age man has been either starved or poisoned in these re- 
spects, and thus has been brought in the unhappy conditions 
of deformity. Furthermore the life and energy that were 



76 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

preserved in him were considerably misshapen or deformed 
by the development of bad habits. " More asylums are 
needed," says the Pennsylvania Board of Charity, in its last 
annual report. ' The penitentiaries are overcrowded ; 
the Eastern Penitentiary has 600 more inmates than the law 
allows, and about the same conditions exist elsewhere." The 
report recommends the expenditure of about $5,000,000 on 
new buildings to meet the pressing need of room, and this 
for what ? " For the insane," who are rapidly coming in 
every year, and for those addicted to evil habits." 

It is this deformity of life, then, which comes from starv- 
ing or ill-feeding of the soul, and from bad habits, that pro- 
duces pre-eminently the moral evil in the community. It is 
not in the sphere of the Holy Spirit to correct these de- 
ficiencies any more than He can feed a starved physical 
body or correct the habits of man's walks. The latter is to 
develope himself along these lines by the exertion of his 
own energy, especially by starting aright from the begin- 
ning of life and by using the riches that are abundantly 
stored around him. 

4. Joint Work of the Home, the School and the Church. 
Another prominent feature of the existing doctrines regard- 
ing character development consists in the maintenance that 
it can be attained not by the home, the school or by the 



Joint Efforts of Home, School and Church. 77 

-church, separately, but by the collective efforts of these in- 
stitutions — by having each one sharing in the work in its 
own way. 

Among the devices for making these co-operative efforts 
more effective that deserve special mentioning are the con- 
ferences which have been organized in some places between 
parents and teachers for holding meetings and discussing 
■questions pertaining to the best education of the young. 

All that we have to say regarding this, however, is that 
while these movements are commendable steps in the way 
of the educational growth, they do not affect our claims 
that the workings of the said institutions are not sufficient 
to produce the desirable and possible manhood and woman- 
hood, no matter how they work. And one of our arguments 
is, again, that they have not succeeded so far. The home, 
the school and the church have been laboring long enough 
in this field to furnish a test of what is possible for them to 
accomplish. Neither would the novelty of the said confer- 
ences make much improvement along these lines. 

It is not so much the deficiencies of the work in the home, 
the school and the church that allow the evil to flourish, but 
it is the wide gap between them that does it. It is this gap 
from which the enormity of evil explodes and drifts into the 
homes and other departments of life. It is the gap of the 
child's play, enjoyments and amusements without anybody's 



78 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

care, anybody's supervision and guidance, which breeds 
the moral pestilence that sucks the life of human happiness, 
and brings misery and wretchedness. Therefore it is to- 
ward this gap that attention should be turned, not only for 
suppression, but also for the extermination of the evil to a 
very considerable extent. This but means that the necessi- 
ties for the child's happiness be thoroughly provided and 
equipped, so that he may be led and guided in every new 
step that he may take for the formation of his habits of char- 
acter. 



HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT. 

Before describing the process of how life is marred, evil 
developed and character destroyed, we must state our 
position toward the much-debated but yet unsettled 
question of heredity and environment. There is a 
teaching which claims that the evil dispositions are 
hereditary and therefore unavoidable. That the 
characteristics and tendencies of the parents are repeated 
in the offspring, and in the development of the individual 
these are outlined and matured in certain fixed and definite 
ways," — and therefore the evil that has rooted itself some- 
how in the parentage, must necessarily be transmitted to the 
offspring. Another teaching maintains that the laws of her- 
edity are applicable to the physical man, but they have no 



Heredity and Environment. 79 

direct effect upon him from a psychical standpoint. Finally 
it is claimed that no matter what weakness a person may 
have inherited, a proper environment, proper care and train- 
ing", can overcome the inherited tendencies. Thus the con- 
tention goes merrily on. " Both sides believe that all forms 
of life have been evolved by action of variation, inheritance 
of variation, and the survival of the fittest for the conditions 
in which they are placed ; but there seem to be irrecon- 
cilable differences among the scholars as to what kind of 
variations can be inherited." 

For our purpose it is sufficient to state that which we be- 
lieve no one can deny, namely, that man naturally was not 
intended to be what he is. Whether originally he was 
dropped from the fingers of God as he is, or has evolved 
from a lower animal life by natural processes, he was in- 
tended to be perfect. This is what he could have been and 
what one day he undoubtedly will be. This must be because 
God and nature always intended perfection, and are able to 
produce it. It is due to man's non-compliance with the laws 
of God and the laws of nature that he is what he is. The 
minute he turns or is turned the other way, he would at 
once start in the path of his proper destiny. A man whose 
life has been one of filth, wretchedness, depravity and star- 
vation — from very childhood being either " miserably fed, 
miserably housed, pitiably conditioned, roasted in summer 



80 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

and frozen in winter," — or gluttonously abusing nature in 
laziness and a disorderly life, can but be physically crippled, 
intellectually lowered, and consequently may more easily 
be morally seduced. 

And it cannot be denied that this has been the large 
portion of man's life in the past, and the same is true 
of to-day. " The man of business strains his energies and 
breaks down ; the wife, mother or working woman goes 
beyond her strength and breaks down. The world seems 
filled with broken down people, and unfortunately it gener- 
ally seems to be their own fault." Add to this the ruinous 
influence of inebriety, tobacco, and other pernicious self- 
abuses so common now, as they ever were, among all 
nations, among all classes and masses, and we see from 
the physical standpoint alone, through heredity and acquire- 
ments, such ingredients of misery and wickedness as those 
which fill up human history and prevail in the world to-day. 

" Sound mind in sound body," says truly the proverb. 
It is not strange that there is so much nervousness, weak- 
ness, injudiciousness, want of sound-mindedness, when we 
take into consideration the fact that there are so few who 
really enjoy sound health. On every side we hear of more 
complaints and see more suffering than we hear of satisfac- 
tion and enjoyments of life. One suffering from melan- 
choly, another from indigestion, another from heart trouble, 



Deformities of Man. 81 

another from lungs,, another from liver ; one debilitated, 
another delicate, another feeble, another infirm, another an 
invalid, another dim. The world is full of headaches, heart 
palpitations, liver and kidney troubles, distress after eating, 
pains in the chest and sides, heavy feelings, and innumer- 
able other distresses that we hear so much about. This is 
due partly to heredity, partly to yielding to inherited physi- 
cal predispositions, but no less to lack of proper counteract- 
ing influences to these predispositions. 

In short, man is, as a rule, a physical wreck. He is far 
from what he was intended to be. This causes him not only 
physical distress, but often makes him feel as if even the 
doors of Heaven are closed to him. To such the Rev. Dr. 
T. De Witt Talmage offers the following consoling words : 
" My brother, your trouble is not with the heart ; it is a 
gastric disorder or a rebellious liver. It is not sin that blots 
out your hope of heaven, but bile that not only yellows your 
eyeballs and furs your tongue and makes your head ache, 
but swoops upon your soul in dejection and forebodings." 

Psychologically, however, man has been more wronged 
than physically. He has been more starved, more frozen, 
more humiliated, more abused. Whether there is a direct 
psychical heredity or not, the maltreatments which the 
majority receive personally from the very first days of their 
life, are sufficient to produce all the existing evils. 



82 Modern Doctrines of Character Development. 

How can all this be improved, then ? Only by giving to 
man his place in nature. Put him where he was naturally 
intended to be. This could be ascertained by taking into 
consideration the science of human needs. Let these needs, 
whether physical or psychical, be thoroughly and harmoni- 
ously supplied, and then all the wounds inflicted upon man's 
body and soul will, step by step, be healed, and thus he will 
be lifted up to his destined manhood. 



V. 

(Ebtl Habit* anti EtnXizvit'm. 

(i) Hozv They are Fostered and Developed. Now we are 
prepared to take up our subject of character development 
through play and playgrounds, as referred to in the first 
three chapters. 

We have examined the agencies from which has been 
expected the formation of human character, and have seen 
the reasons of their failure of attaining the desired ends. We 
saw that the educators, by the school instruction, school- 
life, and by enriching the mind with knowledge, no matter 
how high and perfect that knowledge may be, are not doing 
the most essential thing for the formation of the habits of 
character, though they may sharpen and enlighten the mind. 
We saw that the mother alone cannot take full charge of the 
formation of her offspring's character even if she is an ideal 
mother, though we must admit that she is the most import- 
ant factor in this respect at the start of the child's life (the 
infancy). We also have seen (particularly in the supple- 
mentary part) that the church is disregarding the natural 
order of things by depending on the Holy Spirit to do 
things which are not in His sphere to do, and which God 



84 How Evil is Developed and Character Destroyed. 

has submitted to the care of other agencies. Finally we 
proved ourselves sufficiently confident that hereditary evil, 
if there be such a thing, was not intended originally. That 
it is the result of man's own folly by departing from his 
naturally intended path of life, and that there would be no 
question of such heredity, should man take fully his place 
in nature. 

The conclusion of all, then, is that the existing evil is 
here, because the most efficient measures for its removal 
have not been adopted ; because the doors have been widely 
opened to it to come in. People are as wicked as they are 
because they have not had fully the opportunities to be 
better, — they have not had the chances to accustom and 
direct themselves to right ways of living. The innumerable 
measures that have been tried for man's moral improvement 
have succeeded so little, either because they have not been 
in the right direction, or have been insufficient, or mis- 
applied. While thus there has been practically accom- 
plished but little for man's growth in goodness, there has 
been done a great deal to ruin him, though it has mostly 
been done unconsciously. 

Let us describe, then, more specifically the processes 
through which evil is infused and developed in man's char- 
acter. 

(a) Fostering Evil in the Infant. We hear a great deal 



Fostering Evil Into Infancy. 85 

about teaching and educating the young when they become 
enabled to know something ; but how little seems to be 
thought of taking care for their impressions and feelings 
when they are led by instinct ! Certainly then is the time 
when the first impressions of evil are stamped upon them. 
From the very first day of his existence the child is forced 
to fight and struggle against injustices and tortures inflicted 
upon him by the surrounding world. He expresses his in- 
dignation against all these by crying. Children cry many 
times every day, and every cry is an expression of either 
hunger, cold, itch, pain, pressure, or something else that in 
his tender life makes him unhappy. If the cause is not 
removed, the system seems to arm itself against such 
oppression by forcing a louder and more persistent crying. 
It seems easy to imagine how the child feels these tortures 
as the adult feels the wrong done him by thieves and tyrants. 
The crying by which the child expresses his feelings often 
requires the greatest exertion and not seldom results in ex- 
haustion. But still who pays much attention to such a little 
thing as a child's crying ? " Let him cry." " It is natural 
for children to cry," " that is child's language and music," 
etc. This is what people often say regarding the children's 
crying. 

Thus the unfortunate little creature continues on. 
day after day, week after week and month after month, till 



86 How Evil is Developed and Character Destroyed. 

he becomes possessed by the spirit and confirmed in the 
habit of feeling that he is in a world of torture, requiring 
hard struggles for existence and fighting against the 
enemies of life's pleasures and comforts. This habitual feel- 
ing becomes unconsciously a second nature in the child, and 
very soon shows itself mostly through what is called stub- 
bornness. There are instances where children but a few 
months old have impressed those around them that they 
were stubbornly persisting in their anger by stiffening them- 
selves and straining their voices so that their parents have 
felt like punishing them. Besides this, who has not noticed 
children scarcely old enough to realize their individuality 
among others, screaming with an intensity of feeling that 
sparkles in their eyes and even appear as stirred to fighting 
against any attempt at taking their playthings or displeas- 
ing them in any way ? Sometimes they seem to become 
so enraged and apparently so revengeful that it takes a long 
time and great efforts to restore their good humor, even 
after everything has been returned to them. In other words, 
the child's obstinacy, stubbornness and almost uncon- 
querable persistency in his ways before he is old enough to 
know anything whatever of what he is doing, and this often 
even without being of advantage to his pleasures, is one of 
the most striking characteristics in human conduct. 



Instilling Evil Into the Youth. 87 

Of course there are some who will tell us that this is 
human nature, transferred by heredity. The children are 
such because the " old Adam gets in them," said a mother 
recently. It, however, comes very largely from habits ac- 
quired instinctively through the child's tortures, against 
which he fought by crying. Though he cannot think, still 
" there is no time when the child is not learning." If the 
mind does not learn, the hand, the foot, the body, the purely 
physical parts are familiarizing themselves with their new 
environments, and thus unconsciously are acquiring those 
habits of feelings, impressions and passions, which take 
such a strong hold upon him that they affect his entire sub- 
sequent life. 

Thus much of what would naturally have developed into 
a bright, happy and "pleasant" man or woman is practi 
cally marred if not destroyed, and a good deal contributed 
toward producing a jealous, stubborn, quarrelsome, " dis- 
agreeable " character. 

(b) Instilling Evil into the Youth. While, however, evil is 
thus developed in the infancy of life, there is, as yet, much 
goodness and many possibilities left in the child, and if 
proper care is taken of him hereafter, much of the acquired 
evil can be ameliorated, and many ideals in life attained. 



88 How Evil is Developed and Character Destroyed. 

But, alas, the maltreatments to the child's soul and body 
continue on, often with greater severity than hitherto. 

Here is again the little candidate for life, just about 
awakening enough to realize that he is one among others. 
Though often showing disagreeableness in conduct, still he 
is " full of life " and possibilities for good. He is constantly 
active and observant, paying greatest attention to his com- 
panions and playmates, and attracted by striking colors, 
sounds and motions. He is impressed and influenced by 
what is most pleasing and amusing to him. In fact he hardly 
cares for anything else but to be amused : and the amuse- 
ment he enjoys most is the one of being on his mother's 
lap or to have his brothers and sisters playing around him. 
In these surroundings every act, every example — every be- 
haviour and every word that he understands may be some- 
thing more than a university lecture to his character and 
subsequent life. But, ah, how little pleasure and enjoyments 
and how few good impressions he receives even during this 
period ! The mother spends but comparatively little time 
with him. She must either look after the domestic duties 
or after the fashionable pleasures required by the times, and 
thus the little one must either crawl around and cry alone 
or be left to the care of his elder brothers and sisters, or to 
the tender mercies of rude servants. 

While in this condition he has a peaceful and 



Instilling Evil Into the Youth. 89 

enjoyable time, still there is enough of the contrary 
to create in him lasting impressions. The elder children, 
for instance, often fall in temptation of grabbing each 
other's toys or those of the little one, or enrage and 
provoke each other in other ways, which soon pro- 
duces crying and disorder. The mother or other guardian, 
thinking that " the juveniles are terrors," enters often in a 
furious temper, punishes recklessly some of them, and this 
often only increases the turmoil and fills the atmosphere 
with the spirit of indignation, jealousy and hostility. " I 
hate to go to a family gathering," a mother was reported to 
have exclaimed. " I consider family gatherings the most 
painful kind of gatherings you can have. The children 
always get to fussing and quarreling among themselves, 
that makes it most disagreeable, and for my part I'd rather 
stay at home than be invited to visit at the same time as the 
rest of the family." She probably speaks of these quarrels 
of the children, because to them she feels bound to pay more 
attention than to the domestic ones ; but the latter are often 
as bad and as effective for evil. 

But the above conditions constitute again rather 
a beginning. The farther the child advances in life, the 
stronger these impressions are becoming. He finds him- 
self more and more a victim to his surroundings, and the 
prospects of his happiness more and more imperilled. The 



90 How Evil is Developed and Character Destroyed. 

instinct for reaching out to growth and development 
through observation, inquiry, play and enjoyments is 
stronger than ever before ; but he has no liberty to 
satisfy these cravings. He wants to run from one corner to 
the other, from one room into another ; to climb up and 
down stairs to his heart's content. The noise of all this, 
however, cannot always be endured, and for this reason he 
must keep quiet. The spirit of play must be smothered. 
In this he must obey mamma or else he is not a good boy. 
For many breakings and tearings during his play he has 
often to stand the penalty of whipping and scolding. Should 
he happen to hurt himself during his play, interest is often 
shown only by another slap for not obeying and keeping 
quiet. 

Thus he is rather brought up " to reason with blows ; " is 
appealed " to his common sense by whacking," and forced 
to obedience by being scared and frightened. He meets 
discouragements and disappointments all the time. The 
" world is full of discouraged children," and " discourage- 
ment is apt to bring about a laxity of moral fibre rather than 
firmness." He is full of sensibilities, but for this very 
reason he is constantly molested by scoldings and whip- 
pings ; and. as one writer says : " when a child has any 
sensibility, scolding either kills it or makes it vicious." 
Often he has to scream to the full capacity of his lungs to 



The Children on the Streets. 91 

get what he wants. Not seldom, also, he is compelled to 
speak and act untruthfully in order to either escape punish- 
ment or obtain satisfaction for his desires. Therefore if the 
first impressions of life are so generally such, is it strange 
that the child's life is actually saturated with the feeling 
of bitterness, impatience, hatred and evil tendencies ? 

(c) The Children on the Streets. The above hardships of 
the child, however, are not the only nor the worst that he 
endures. In the midst of all these, there is, on the other 
hand, the loving kindness and tender mercy of the mother ; 
there are the sweet and affectionate influences of the home, 
which often cheer his heart, and whatever harm is done to 
him has for its excuse good intentions. 

There is a time, however, when the house and the yard 
become too narrow for him. He opens the gate and joins 
in companionship the children on the streets. And the 
condition of the children on the streets is practically worse 
than language can express. It seems as if the devil had 
stored there the most destructive elements of his ammuni- 
tion to warp and demolish the human character. The selfish- 
ness, destructive harshness and greedy disregard of others — 
the uproar and terror of the hurricane — seem to have allied 
together for destroying the last seed of manhood that was 
preserved in the child. 



92 How Evil is Developed and Character Destroyed. 

Even if the children were left there by themselves, 
without the contaminating examples set before them, 
they would create among themselves a social atmosphere 
full of capriciousness, lawlessness and evil passions, each one 
thinking of no one's pleasure but his own. 

They generally go by companies or in " gangs," and the 
circumstances are, that if anybody attacks their company, as 
a body or individually, they all join in defense ; but among 
themselves almost each one tends to prey upon the interests 
of the others, and cares not whom he wrongs or often even 
destroys, if his passion so demands. This is a peculiar fact. 
" If you listen to the words of the games which children 
play in school-yards, on sidewalks, or on the streets, you 
will find that most of them border closely upon vulgarity 
utterly unsuitable to children ; that they are, in fine, com- 
mon, rude, silly, and boorish, though they are played with 
great glee. One can never watch a circle of children going 
through these exercises without unspeakable shrinking and 
moral disgust." 

This, however, is not the worst condition of the children 
on the streets. You may begin with such "peaceful games" 
till you reach such where whole neighborhoods are stirred 
up, and families raised against each other on account of the 
children's quarrels. The children are advised, commanded, 
instructed to be good and gentle, often scolded and pun- 



Pernicious Street Influences. 93 

ished for not being such ; but they would rather stand all 
this than to supppress the burning impulse of play. They 
go to school, and may be Sunday School ; receive, among 
other studies, much good instructions on obedience, order, 
and gentleness, but they seem to leave all of these in the 
school rooms when going out to play. They carry more 
of the street influence into the school than the school influ- 
ence into the streets. 

We hope the reader will bear us in quoting a few illustra- 
tions of what the children do on the streets in their pastime 
called " fun " : 

" A Victim of Hoodlums." Under this heading an obser- 
ver describes as follows the lot of an old, unfortunate 
woman, on the streets : " When her invalid son 
died several weeks ago, the aged woman, feeble in 
body and deprived of the poor support that he was 
able to give her, became dependent upon the charity of 
those who had known her in her days of prosperity. Clad 
in a threadbare black dress, and walking with a rolling gait, 
she did not pass unnoticed by a crowd of street loiterers 
near Tenth and Chestnut streets yesterday afternoon. They 
began to hoot at the old woman, and one of them seized her 
veil. Mrs. M. turned quickly and gave the youthful offen- 
der a ringing box on one of his ears. There was a louder 



94 How Evil is Developed and Character Destroyed. 

hoot and more youngsters pulled at her garments. It did 
not take long for a big crowd to gather. 

Reserve policeman F. took a leisurely walk a hundred feet 
to the westward to become a spectator of the attack upon 
the old woman, who by that time was nearly frantic. 

Reserve D. made an effort to disperse the mob at 
Eleventh street. Reserve L. did the same at Twelfth street, 
and had about decided that it would be best to arrest the old 
woman, when he saw Reserve H., stationed at Thirteenth 
street, coming toward her as if he meant business. But H., 
after an unsuccessful charge, let the old woman, her perse- 
cutors and the spectators go on toward Broad street. Many 
persons asked the quartette of big reserves to take charge 
ot the aged victim. She was thumping those near-by right 
and left and calling down the wrath of heaven upon them. 

Reserve S., at Broad street, was told of the disturbance 
as the mob was in front of the Mint. Without a moment's 
hesitation he went into the midst of the crowd, shoved aside 
some of the small boys, took the old woman by the arm and 
led her to the Central Police Station, and from there she was 
taken to the Philadelphia Hospital." 

This occurred in the middle of the day, in the best busi- 
ness thoroughfare, — the centre of display between wealth 
and fashion in this typical American city. 



Pernicious Street Influences. 95 

On a Sunday afternoon the following took place on North 
Nineteenth street, a prominent residential portion of Phila- 
delphia : A group of Sunday School boys and girls were 
gathered in front of a church waiting for its opening. Dur- 
ing this time a poor, unfortunate man happened to pass by. 
What did these children with Bibles in their hands do to 
that poor bootblack ? Some boys ridiculed him, others 
threw mud at him, others attached different titles to him — 
in short, they did not stop at anything imaginable that was, 
to the poor man, insulting, grieving and tormenting. 

At another time Broad street, in front of the Grand Opera 
House, also a fashionable section of Philadelphia, was 
swarmed with children running to and fro, and many adults 
among them. ' That's the way to do 'em!" said a little boy 
who emerged out of the crowd and stopped nearby laughing 
with great glee. "What is it, boy ?" was asked. "This 
ticket I snatched from a little girl in that crowd of people 
going into the opera, ha, ha, ha \ that's the way." And he 
went on to tell how smart he did it, and congratulated him- 
self on his success, for, as he explained it, all the boys 
crowding the street were trying to do the same thing, but 
few succeeded. 

The above cases are quoted as illustrations coming from 
the best parts of one of the best cities — a city complimented 



g6 How Evil is Developed and Character Destroyed. 

as " the most honest, best governed, most moral, charitable 
and patriotic city in the United States, if not in the world." 

We could write volumes in describing the startling con- 
ditions of the poorer and less favored sections of this as of 
other cities, where children are swarming in large groups, 
and among whom even more deplorable and revolting 
scenes and acts of so-called play constitute almost their 
daily life on the streets. 

But why is it necessary to spend time and space with illus- 
tration ? None who pass by the children crowding the 
streets and the alleys can fail to see the obnoxious scenes 
and hear the repulsive and disgusting language used by 
them for the purpose of satisfying that burning passion for 
play and enjoyment. 

Lack of guidance, however, is not all that destroys the 
youths' lives and characters. The contaminating influences 
set before them are doubling the strength of the ties that 
drag them down. Who has not noticed that wherever there 
is a crank, tramp, drunkard ; wherever there is quarreling 
or fighting, there the children throng around for the pur- 
pose of obtaining some fun out of it ? Wherever there is 
an arrest or revolting scene, there the children are on hand, 
eager to know every detail. Seeing other people smoke, 



Pernicious Street Examples. 97 

chew, drink, blaspheme, they fall in line with it, for some- 
thing pleasurable must be done to occupy the mind and the 
heart. 

A father was reported as having said : " You know I am 
perfectly astonished at what I found in my boy's pocket the 
other night, accidentally. We are so careful to bring him 
up right in the sight of God. I found a pack of cards, a clay 
pipe, three stubs of cigars, part of a plug of tobacco, and 
some tickets to a low theatre." When I asked where his 
boys played, this father replied, " O, they play around the 
yard and sometimes around our streets." 

The boys especially crowd the corners and tramp the 
streets like organized bands of idlers, cultivating the dis- 
position and imitating the loafers on the streets in mischief, 
profanity, vice and crime, and often fiercely arm themselves 
against any opposition. ' The greatest enemy to the police 
is the boy," said a high Philadelphia official recently. Go 
to the storekeeper, to the shopkeeper, to the housekeeper, 
and you will hear the same story. The boys steal, break 
windows, insult, afflict, upset one thing and another, and 
would do most anything they hear or see in order to satisfy 
that burning instinct for play. " These beginnings of vice 
and crime were the only outlets they have had for the 
powers with which nature has endowed them. These prac- 



98 How Evil is Developed a?id Character Destroyed. 

tices were their only or chief amusement, and thus happiness 
to them became synonymous with vice and fiendish delight 
in evil doing." 

(d) Natural Results. Far be it from our intention to say 
that these are the circumstances and conditions of all chil- 
dren. If it were so, chaos would be our lot ; but such being 
a condition almost general which surrounds the child in its 
infant and youthful life ; such, the first impressions and 
lessons of life, is it a wonder that there is so much of woe, 
sorrow, bitterness, overwhelming wickedness in life ? If 
the child is ill-fed or starved physically, everybody knows 
the result. We see a human being pale, weak, feeble — may- 
be " old before he is young;" a deformed creature better 
fitted for the grave than for life. But this is just what is 
done with the youth morally, esthetically and socially. 

The vile and debasing amusements in childhood are 
naturally followed with those in the saloon, the beer garden, 
gambling den, in immoral theatres, in shanties, in profanity 
and in degraded life. 

We often see institutions like the Young Men's Christian 
Association, for instance, practically empty, while the 
saloons and other demoralizing places next door to them 
are filled and frequented. People wonder at this, growl at 
the sinfulness of man, and often despair in sad disappoint- 



Natural Results of Street Influences. 99 

ment for his betterment. There is, however, nothing 
strange in this. It is a most natural consequence of the fact 
that in due time — in the youth — people have acquired these 
tastes of impurity and sinfulness. Had they been led to 
paths of virtue and purity, they would have enjoyed just 
as well the Young Men's Christian Association as the 
saloon. 

The deplorable corruption that predominates in political, 
social, economical and other branches of life are nothing 
else but modified and developed phases of the habits, dis- 
positions and tendencies of action acquired during the 
period when the child was led by play and enjoyment to 
learn practical lessons for life. 

Therefore, as the public school teaches how to know, so 
play teaches how to live. As food nourishes the body and 
knowledge the mind, so proper play develops life, brings 
happiness, and forms habits of character. As defiled food 
ruins the body, and faulty knowledge brings confusion and 
maybe disaster to the mind, so unguided and demoralizing 
amusements prevailing among the youth destroy the char- 
acter. As absence of food enfeebles and mortifies the body, 
so depriving the child of his play and his enjoyments 
weakens and dwarfs his psychical nature and brings all its 
consequences. 



ioo Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

2. REMEDIES. 

Now, we appeal to the reader's judgment if, after 
taking into consideration what even feebly has been 
presented so far, it does not appear that the securing of 
proper places for the young to play and enjoy themselves, 
under supervision and guidance ; or, in other words, filling 
the gap between the home, the school and the church, is not 
on the whole, a most commendable solution of the con- 
sidered problems regarding the evil habits and tendencies 
that crystallize into character. 

(a) Illustration. Let us take, for illustration, the model 
playground that the Culture Extension League is about to 
establish (see page 17). 

Of course the injuries inflicted upon the infant, as stated 
above, do not call for discussion here. This belongs exclu- 
sively to the mother and the home guardians. We are, 
therefore, to take up the child from the time he awakens in 
his conscience to the extent that next to physical content- 
ment he obtains satisfaction in observation, play, amuse- 
ments and enjoyments, through which he forms impressions 
and acquires lessons and habits for his practical life. No 
matter how spoiled he may have been up to this time, when 
it was rather hard to understand him and discover what 
ailed him, he is still young enough to be well brought up, 
if only proper care be now taken of him. 



The Playgrounds as Remedy. 101 

It will be practically impossible to describe in brief all the 
benefits that will be derived from the playground, neither 
is it necessary to do so. They could easily be imagined. 
There have been, however, a great many questions asked 
as to how the playground can bring about these moral re- 
sults, and we will endeavor to give some answers. 

The child, for instance, gets up in the morning; is bathed, 
dressed and fed. The older ones having gone to the school 
or the kindergarten, he may have to crawl around, chasing 
the cat and flies with occasional screamings till the morning 
domestic duties are performed by the mother or other 
guardians. After that he may, during many days of the 
year, be taken to the playground, where he sees many baby 
carriages, some pleasant spots and other attractions, able to 
brighten his eyes, gladden his heart and fill his mind with 
good impressions. Toward noon he is taken home, and 
though left alone again for a while, he is prepared by 
the outing to feel more contented. He is fed, takes a 
good sleep, and toward three or four o'clock is perhaps taken 
out again. Then the schools are dismissed; all the children 
in the neighborhood are gathered together for play. The 
place is full of life, cheer and enthusiasm ; but there is no 
quarreling, no fighting, nothing unpleasant and contaminat- 
ing. Under the guidance and supervision of the play- 
ground teachers such evil scenes and influences are avoided. 



102 Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

So he receives nothing else but inspirations of pure and in- 
vigorating impressions and aspirations. The domestic soli- 
tude then is not so gloomy, and there is all the way through 
less discourtesy, less disagreeableness, less misery, and the 
avenues to a more solid, bright and upright life are more 
widely opened. 

Thus he grows up, and so do nearly all the youth in the 
neighborhood, till they become boys and girls of school and 
kindergarten age. Then the circumstances are somewhat 
changed. In the morning their chief care and that of their 
guardians is that they get ready for school. There the 
teachers do their parts, some ably and commendably, some 
not. In some places it is a pleasure to the children to be at 
school ; in others it is painful and disagreeable. But at any 
rate they yearn to see the school hours over and flee out to 
play. When the time approaches, they begin clamoring in 
excitement, and the inner impulse bursts into uproar and 
shout as soon as they leave the threshold of the building. 
What they want now is to play — running, jumping, or some 
such physical exertion, till night time. What was told and 
taught in the school is practically forgotten here ; they 
yearn for and observe that which gives pleasure and enjoy- 
ment. 

Now, the plans of the Culture Extension League are to 
have the model playground answer fully these cravings of 



The Playgrounds as Remedy. 103 

the youth. Instead of running around the streets, alleys or 
gutters engaged in various diabolical practices, they are to 
come to the playground. The playground teachers meet 
them, and enter with them into various exercises, or merely 
supervizing their sports, giving them full liberty to act, ex- 
cept when such a course is not conducive to uprightness. 
This continues till the evening. After supper the children 
may come back again, or remain at home, studying their 
lessons for the following day, or, best of all, they may go to 
the evening homes for indoor recreation and culture, such 
as exist in many places to-day, but which the Culture Ex- 
tension League considers equally important to be more per- 
fected and spread, together with the playgrounds. 

On holidays and in vacations the playground is opened 
all the day and every day. On Sundays, however, arrange- 
ments are proposed to be made to render due respect for 
that day. In other words, the playground is to be the place 
for play, enjoyment and the cultivation of sociability and 
proper conducts, as the school is the place for intellectual 
culture. Whenever the children feel like going out to play, 
there is the place to go to and not the street. The parents 
can easily be educated to direct them there, the police can 
co-operate in this ; but the greatest inducement for the 
young to go to the playground is the playground itself. The 
pavilions, with their equipments, and the ground outside 



104 Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

are intended to be the most attractive and pleasureable place 
to be found in the neighborhood. 

Now, we ask again, is it not convincing that such a pro- 
vision will be of inestimable help in laying foundations of 
strong, manly, bright and happy lives, rescued from the evil 
habits and tendencies that produce misery and wretched- 
ness ? Undoubtedly it will. It cannot be otherwise. 
Through their play in this manner the young are taught 
how to live together, how to respect each other's rights, how 
to be kind, gentle, pure, in language as well as in conduct. 
The boy's mouth will not be defiled by tobacco, liquor or 
profane language. The disrespectful and vulgar treatment 
which young boys and girls inflict upon each other in the 
streets will be done away with. The playground influences 
will be carried into the home, where the younger brothers 
and sisters will treat each other much differently from the 
way thev do now ; or, to put it the other way. the influences 
ot the home, of the school and of the church are thus ex- 
tended outside over the whole life of the child. 

Growing up in such environments, with such ideas, 
impressions and inspirations, they enter life as men and 
women, fathers and mothers, citizens and business people. 
This extends itself to every child and home in the city. 
What a marvelous change in the relations of the people all 



The Playgrounds as Remedy. " 105 

the way through ! There certainly would be much less 
need of police, courts and prisons ; of penitentiaries, re- 
formatories and asylums ; much less drunkenness, poverty 
and misery ; much less selfishness, greed, jealousy, and 
every bitterness in life, and much more of everything that 
elevates life. 

(b) Evidences from Educators. We spoke of the mistake 
the educators have made by mising so much of the value 
of play and playgrounds in the development of the child's 
character. We expressed a great pity to see educators de- 
scribe the value of education so beautifully, and its ideal 
possibilities so vividly that they both elevate and inspire with 
hopes and courage, and still, when they come to tell us how 
to obtain all this, they almost every time point to the school 
room. It is a pity because it seems as if a little bit more 
of thought could have made it plain that the school instruc- 
tion, with all its influences, alone cannot attain those high 
educational ideals that all are so anxious about. 

The importance of these shortcomings will justify us in 
taking them up again, especially for quoting some illus- 
trations, which will show, among other things, how enslaved 
human minds may sometimes be to traditional practices 
and customs. 

A leading publication, edited by one of the best known 



ioj - Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

and most highly regarded educators in America, published 
lately an article which reads : " The great and vital question 
of the educational world to-day is : What are the schools 
doing toward the making of character ? For this is the 
supreme end of education. In what way are the public 
schools lifting up the children of America to a higher as well 
as broader plane of life ? " Recognizing that the school, 
which he considers " pre-eminently the place where oppor- 
tunity is given for character development." has fallen far 
short of accomplishing this, the writer of the article recom- 
mends for improvement the observance by the schools, and 
inculcation into the child's life, of the following traits : " ac- 
tivity"; " order,'' heaven's first law ; " habit'' that makes us, 
that forms us, that damns us. and therefore he says that it is 
the mission of the school to form correct habits as well as to 
give correct thinking : " association." for a child brought up 
by himself is fearfully unfortunate in his moral tendencies ; 
" literary culture "; " play;' which in children is Divine ex- 
pression ; " motive "; " sclf-gozmimciit.'' 

Xow let us reason again together. May the reader stop 
for a moment and consult his judgment : how can these 
traits be inculcated into the child ? Is it through school in- 
struction or through play ? 

" Activity," he says As a matter of fact the child is al- 
ways active, which he exhibits through play and amuse- 



Remedies, Missed by Educators. 107 

ments. All that he wants in this respect is chance for 
activity. The best and easiest way to develope activity in 
drowsy and slothful children is through interesting plays 
and games. If the writer means intellectual activity, this 
again in the child cannot be severed from his physical ac- 
tivity. If he means a wide awakening of body and soul into 
energetic and animated action, this hardly can be attained 
unless the physical activity takes leadership. At any rate, 
<; activity " cannot be developed in a child by merely talking 
or lecturing to him. He must be put in action. The 
manual training schools and the kindergartens are answer- 
ing this to a certain extent, but they are far from doing 
enough. A wide awakening to activity, then, can be instilled 
into the child mostly by giving him a chance and proper 
facilities for play to his full satisfaction, under proper guid- 
ance. 

" Order/' in a broader sense, can hardly be required from 
the school. It has but slight chances of instilling such into 
the pupils. This is almost entirely the work of the play- 
grounds to do. Of course the school may give instructions 
on order, and may observe order in the school work and 
school life in general : but who can say that this is sufficient 
to make the children orderly ? As it is now, the teachers 
have enough to contend with the disorderly tendencies of 
the children during: the ncessarv school work of instruction. 



108 Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

The children, as a rule, have such strong habits of disorder 
wherever they are, because there is no order at their play. 

But how little seems to be thought of the relation 
which this disorder bears toward the lawlessness in the so- 
cial and political community at large ! The laws of a coun- 
try are but established order for the welfare of all. We hear 
so much of lawlessness and law-breaking among people. 
The reason for this is because they have practically never 
been trained properly to obey the law and order. The time 
and place to inculcate this is mainly at play. If the children 
were made to observe order and regularity at play as well 
as to observe honestly the rules of the various plays them- 
selves, they would acquire habits of respect and obedience 
to laws and regulations in life. Through the model play- 
grounds, therefore, can be made much better law and order 
abiding citizens and patriots than through fireworks, lec- 
tures or military promenades. 

How " habits," of which the writer of the article says : 
" that make us, that form us, that damn us," and which we 
recognized as the elements cf the character, how such habits 
can be formed chiefly through the playgrounds, we have 
already explained (Chapter III., p. 46). Of course the school 
does develope habits of thought and meditation, but these 
are as different from habits of character as knowledge is 
different from practice. 



Remedies, Missed by Educators. 109 

" Motives " and " self-government " fall in the same line. 
The child formulates his motives of action at play and 
pleasurable exercises much more than on any other occa- 
sion. And, therefore, if he is properly governed there, his 
motives would be pure and noble. 

As to " self-government " the same arguments we applied 
to habits are applied here. 

The most commendable portion of the article is that bear- 
ing upon " play." The writer recommends that play be 
observed by the schools, for, says he, "play, sport and romp, 
under proper direction, have inestimable value. They 
bring to the surface the pure joy of the inner life and bless 
the child with God's best beneficence — the sunshine of His 
Soul." But see again the great misfortune : how should 
this play be provided ? Again by the school. " The school 
recess," says the author, " has been understood to be so 
many minutes for pure air and for ' let go ' exercises " ; 
but " it should be looked upon as moral education through 
play." Unfortunate schools ! Is it not strange that the 
bricks and stones do not burst out against these insatiable 
cruelties that are taxing them almost to death ? 

Another well known educator ascribes to the school the 
training of law-abiding, orderly and public-spirited citizens, 
as well as cultivating friendships, sociability and mutual 



no Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

attachment, and does not seek to place this burden upon 
some other agency. The young obtain all this, said he, on 
another occasion, by their very grouping and being to- 
gether; by their joint communion in the thoughts that 
mould their minds in the class-rooms and in the lessons ; by 
the listening to the instruction and guidance of the same 
teachers and by being under the same general inspiring and 
elevating atmosphere of the school. How much this 
authority is sure to be right in his opinion may be ques- 
tioned, for he admits that the school is not having the suc- 
cess that should be expected of it. 

Of course it is a mistake to minimize the importance of 
the school ; but it is just as much a mistake to expect too 
much from it. Its value as a place of instruction should 
not be depreciated, but neither should it be over-estimated. 
The schools have not brought the results that have been 
" expected of them." because there has been too much ex- 
pected of them. This esteemed gentleman evidently had 
isolated from his mind, when he made the above assertions, 
that the children are together, cultivate sociability, 
receive impressions, form attachments, learn lessons, 
develope habits and tendencies outside of the school 
just as well, and even more, than they do in the school. 
Their thoughts and meditations are not about their lessons 
and instructions so much as about their sports, amusements 



Remedies, Missed by Educators. in 

and companionship outside. This is evident at least, from 
the fact that this is what they talk most about. As soon as 
they gather at school, and whatever little chance they have 
for conversation during the school hours, they devote most 
of their talk about their sports, fun and fights they have had 
or have seen the night before, and in planning what they 
shall do after leaving the school again. It is a mistake 
to say that for this reason the child should be restrained 
or else he would turn too loose. He should not be re- 
strained, but guided. Let his appetite for play be fully 
satisfied, and then he will be much better prepared to listen 
to instructions, to studies and advice. 

In front of me is another resume of " the intellectual 
moral and physical culture " of man, written by a 
prominent educational authority. For the attainment 
of a high moral character, " the one thing needful," we 
understand the writer's recommendations to be, that 
the young should strive to cultivate the virtues of 
" obedience " to duty and obligation ; " truthfulness," " dili- 
gence " ; " charity" or " weep with those who weep and re- 
joice with those who rejoice " ; " reverence "; observing 
strictly the principles of " inspiration " and those of " regula- 
tion "; " perseverance "; " virtuous energy "; " imitation of 
good examples " and others. He describes very vividly the 
advantages of these virtues as elements of character ; and 



ii2 Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

states very justly that books are not the primary source of 
their attainment; but when he comes to tell us how to culti- 
vate these virtues, he merely tumbles us into another ditch. 
He says that the young can attain them by "exercising their 
virtuous energy," and that " this energy is attainable only 
by energizing." 

In other words, the ruling idea in the chapter of moral 
culture in this bright and otherwise helpful little book is 
that the teachers shall instruct their pupils in the prin- 
ciples of virtues, but the responsibility of adopting these 
virtues into practical life or the character are laid upon the 
pupils themselves. This is a good illustration of the very 
general educational practice of to-day. Such endeavors for 
the moral culture of man, however, are about as apt to pro- 
duce results as making musicians by merely giving them 
verbal lessons on what music is, and then leave them alone. 

The reader can easily imagine how in the child, who is 
led more by feeling than by judgment, these virtues can be 
cultivated much more by guiding him at his play and in his 
enjoyable companionships than by mental instruction, and 
that the model playgrounds are a most indispensable neces- 
sity for the accomplishment of these results. 

Another leading periodical recently brought before the 
public an article on " The New Education," from the pen of 



Remedies, Missed by Educators. 113 

a most conspicuous gentleman, occupying highest educa- 
tional position, who, as an authority on educational topics, 
is widely quoted. He goes even beyond the present educa- 
tional stage, and speaks of what appears to him as likely to 
be its next step of improvement. 

" The managers and directors of schools everywhere," 
says he, " hear the prophetic voice announcing this new era 
and proclaiming a new education which shall not only 
attend to the disciplinary studies of the school and to the 
acquirement of the conventional arts of reading and writing, 
the notation of numbers, the construction of maps and 
charts and such semi-mechanical matters, but makes its 
incursion into the most useful of arts for the home — the 
home in the city as well as the home in the country." 
Corroborating the educational policy of the American 
Home Congress, he says that the children of the agricul- 
tural communities are to be properly educated in the 
elements of agriculture. The work is to be extended to 
" the city homes by investigating the causes of poverty and 
unthrift, deftly abstracting the children from the home in- 
fluences of the slum, withdrawing them to the kindergarten 
and elementary schools, and giving them the pure air of an 
environment of literature and art and science." 

Finally, says he, " The Home Congress .... well knows 
that the greatest of all functions of the school remain, now 



ii4 Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

as ever the giving to the rising generation the arts of read- 
ing, writing and arithmetic," of which it (the school) " has 
never done one-tenth of what is possible to be done in the 
way of assisting the child, and through him, the parents, to 
reap the full value of these arts." 

" All this," says he farther, " is not to be attained 
through the school room alone ; but also through what is 
known as ' School Extension/ or union of the schools with 
libraries of best books on science, art and literature. 
Through this the school shall make itself a greater and 
greater power in the community by its influence upon pupils 
who have left school, and through pupils who are in school, 
upon the parents and other members of the family at home, 
and stimulate them to carry on their studies and especially 
to apply their culture to the solution of the practical prob- 
lems of their special vocations. 

School extension, therefore, will draw its readers into 
literature, and through literature carry them into the realms 
of natural history, physics, astronomy and geology; into the 
realms of politics, political economy, criminology, history, 
jurisprudence, music." 

And so it goes. All the famous authorities on education 
confirm our assertion (pp. 63-66) that the dominant policy 
in education consists almost solely in the piling up of 
knowledge into the mind, in intellectual instruction, or in 



Remedies, Missed by Educators. 115 

" schooling and booking." Beyond this they seem to go 
only so far as to have this knowledge harnessed for the pur- 
pose of mastering nature, and for the production of wealth. 
This, however, is not necessarily fitting the young to master 
themselves, which should be the supreme aim of education. 
This may seem rather a singular and daring statement, but 
it is sufficiently correct. 

As long as the educators confine themselves only within 
the school room, and even within the school yard ; as long 
as it is only within the school hours ; unless they turn at- 
tention toward the child's occupation out of the school, out- 
side of the kindergarten, out of the library, out of the work- 
shop, out of the book, chalk, pen and ink ; unless they turn 
attention toward the impressions, lessons, examples, amuse- 
ments, influences, enjoyments, play, and all-around environ- 
ment of the child when he is out of home, out of school and 
out of church, they will be doing but half educational work. 
To talk about good, perfect, improved or ideal education 
of man, and not include in it the model playgrounds, mani- 
fests but a seriously one-sided consideration of the subject. 
Therefore, education will not be made "satisfactory" 
only by systematizing it so as to have " the relations of all 
grades, from the kindergarten to the professional school, 
adjusted to one another by such a consensus as will be 
binding like the common law," as another renowned edu- 



n6 Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

cator maintains, in an article on " Modern Education," just 
published. Education will be made satisfactory only when 
the model playgrounds are just as much recognized in such 
a system as the schools and the kindergartens are recog- 
nized. 

There is no excuse in what some feel inclined to say, that 
the educators consider only the school education because 
that is apportioned to them, and leave out what belongs to 
the home, the church, and the community at large. The 
educator's sphere should include what concerns develop- 
ment of the natural faculties, shaping the habits and direct- 
ing the life toward the production of the best intellectual 
moral, esthetic and physical men and women. Of course, 
as we saw, the educators, as a rule, do consider this in their 
writings and speeches ; but could there be a greater mis- 
take than requiring this from the school or intellectual 
instruction to such an extent, and disregard the so effective 
outside influences? It does seem to be like instead of giving 
fresh air to a fainting person, we give him lectures on fresh 
air ; or instead of giving food to the hungry, we give him 
lectures or instruction on what food is, and how much good 
it can do him. 

Education to-day is considered to be what the school 
gives, because it is in this that the educators have confined 



Difficulties in the Ways of Remedy. 117 

themselves. Should they broaden their scope of work so as 
to cover the education of the whole man, the walls between 
the school and outside influence will quickly be removed, 
and a normal state reached. 

Meanwhile, however, we must say that while the educa- 
tors deserve criticism for their one-sidedness in looking 
to the school room and the book for almost everything, 
they, on the other hand, deserve credit for the earnestness 
they show in improving and advancing the school education 
itself. The latest methods of instruction, extending the 
kindergarten idea and introducing manual training and 
other departments of art and industry in the educational 
efforts are most excellent things. By these efforts of im- 
proving the school training all the way through, they 
are doing away with the farrago of dry rules, principles and 
customs that tend to produce more intellectual " pedants, 
prigs and logs than properly instructed men and women." 

(d) Difficulties in the Way. Questions have been raised 
regarding the practicability of attaining these advanced im- 
provements through the model playgrounds. 

One objection that has been made is that the playgrounds 
cannot accomplish much if they have to contend with in- 
fluences of degraded and depraved homes. " What can you 
do," it has been asked, " anywhere with children coming 



n8 Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

from homes prevalent in drunkenness, gambling, filth, lazi- 
ness, prostitution, — in short, an atmosphere full of vicious 
and criminal influences ? " 

Of course we do not deny that there are difficulties 
in the way. And here, maybe, is the place to make 
one precaution. If the discussions so far have made the im- 
pression that playgrounds are considered as the only thing 
needed in order to perfect our educational system, this is a 
mistake. It has not been our intention to convey the idea 
that playgrounds alone will bring perfection ; but that with- 
out them, no matter what else we do for man, perfection 
cannot be attained. 

But, on the other side, it is equally a mistake to say that 
the playgrounds can do nothing with the children of the 
slums and the degraded classes. The model playgrounds 
can accomplish a great deal, not only for the children, but 
also for the homes of these classes. It is not the home alone 
after all, that breeds wickedness and misery. It is rather 
the home together with the pernicious moral and social 
atmosphere that surrounds it. Should a degraded home be 
put in a wholesome and uplifting environment, it cannot but 
be effected by it. This would be so at least in the great 
majority of cases. Let us not forget that the instinct for 
higher life is not dead in man, and he always craves for op- 
portunities of attaining such a life. Let the children receive 



Objections to the Proposed Remedy. 119 

proper instruction in the school ; let them be made cheerful 
and happy by kind and gentle treatment on the play- 
grounds ; let them be infused with high and noble aspira- 
tions outside of the home. Let the parents themselves see 
all this, and be asked to co-operate for the best welfare of 
the dearest gifts they have, and you will see what a trans- 
formation there will be wrought. 

Another objection that has been raised against the prac- 
ticability of the playgrounds is that it would be impos- 
sible for the teachers to enlist the attention and control the 
actions of the children. 

" The place will be crowded with little urchins and gam- 
ins," some one said, " especially with uncontrollable boys ; 
each one pulling in his own way, acting as he pleases and 
saying what he pleases. To oppose him will mean to make 
an enemy of him. It would be practically impossible to win 
attention, subdue the passion, establish order and instill this 
practical instruction." 

To this our answer is that it is true only in cases where 
the playgrounds are newly opened and the children come 
in there for the first time from the streets. In such cases 
there would be, indeed, a great deal to contend with. To the 
writer of these lines this has been the greatest fear regarding 
the proposed model playgrounds in Philadelphia, from 



120 Evil Habits and Tendencies. 

which, as a pioneer, is expected so much. As a great many 
people have the weakness of pronouncing verdicts upon 
things as they appear at first without giving them a chance 
to develope, there has been fear that the ruffians and dis- 
orderly elements that will rush in will disgust the neighbor- 
hood and the supervisors, and thus make the project de- 
clared " impracticable." 

Taken on the long run, however, there are practically no 
difficulties of this kind that deserve any consideration. Even 
the worst street gamins can, after patient efforts, by kind- 
ness, interesting games and pleasant companionship of the 
teachers, be improved and ennobled. As to the majority of 
the girls and the smaller boys, they will hardly create much 
trouble. The work with them will, practically, be from the 
very beginning pleasure and gratification. 

Having the playground training from the very beginning 
of life, they would have no chance to learn evil-doing. 



VI. 

Procuring of piasgrountis* 

We touched briefly upon the difficulties in the way of 
making the playgrounds effective, but in fact the greatest 
difficulties lie in the way of procuring them. We hope it is 
made plain that the model or educational playgrounds 
should be had, not only in the cities, but also in the towns, 
villages, and even in the country places ; not only for the 
children of the poor, but also of the rich ; not only for the 
physical development of the young, but much more for their 
soul and character development. Not only for the summer 
or for any particular season, but for all the year around. 
They should be considered as necessary institutions for the 
proper educational growth and development of the young, 
as the schools are considered to-day. 

But to come to the question again, how should the play- 
grounds be procured ? The larger and older cities, which 
need them for all they are worth, have covered almost every 
spot of their areas with brick and mortar, and the younger 
cities, practically speaking, are rapidly getting into the same 
condition. As to the country places and towns, the people 
have not been brought as yet to realize any need of such 
playgrounds. 



122 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

How are we to obtain playgrounds, then ? Just by 
obtaining them, no matter how hard and difficult a matter 
it may be. The model playgrounds must be had, or else 
man will be forced to grow into intellectual, moral and 
physical deformity. As Mr. Jacob Riis says, " The difficul- 
ties we have to meet in this respect are the penalties of our 
past negligences." 

In defiance of the difficulties we have to encounter, how- 
ever, let us not forget that finally man is master of the cities, 
of the bricks and mortar, and not their slave ; he has made 
them, and not they him. The land belongs to him, and not 
he to the land. And so, although at present it seems as if he 
is enslaved by his own creation and possession, still, he can 
rise up at any time and show that he is the master, and take 
his masterly position. 

The way to provide playgrounds, then, is to begin with 
whatever possibilities there are and then move on. Let the 
cities begin by utilizing whatever open spaces they have, 
and the country people with whatever intelligence they 
have, and then push the work ahead. 

London, which leads the world in this respect, may serve 
as an example. There they have utilized the school and 
church yards, abandoned cemeteries, parts of their squares, 
and, in fact, every available space. The only thing to be 
said regarding Londoners is that, judging from the litera- 



London Playgroimds. 123 

ture and private information that we have been able to ob- 
tain, they seem to look chiefly upon the physical advan- 
tages of the playgrounds, without due appreciation of the 
further and higher educational benefits that can be derived 
from them. The playgrounds there are described as be- 
ing open spaces for cricket games, football, baseball, tennis 
courts, golf and hockey grounds "for the athletic cul- 
ture and healthful open air sports of the young Londoners 
of both sexes," or places where the children, more particu- 
larly of the poorer classes, may go whenever they please and 
enjoy themselves freely. Thus London is represented as 
aiming to supply its youth with grass and fresh air, as 
nature has abundantly supplied the country people, and then 
leaves them to spontaneous growth. They do not seem to 
have recognized as yet the model or educational play- 
grounds, where the children are to receive not only their 
physical culture, but also their moral training, life develop- 
ment, forming habits of character, and learning how best to 
behave in social relations and how to obey law and order as 
good citizens. The public education in London, as else- 
where, is considered to be what the schools give. The play- 
grounds are not recognized as equally important educa- 
tional factors. 

Of the progressive American cities, Boston is recognized 



124 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

as the pioneer and leader, the work there being modeled 
very largely after that of London. In addition to the sum- 
mer school yard playgrounds " for the poorest poor," 
Boston is justly proud of its " open air gymnasium for 
women," at Charlesbank, " the first institution of its kind in 
the world, opened five years ago." There are some very 
admirable features connectd with this open air establish- 
ment, but the fact that it is rather out of the city — merely a 
part of the system of parks that encircle Boston, — that it is 
intended almost exclusively for summer use, the chief part 
of it being the gymnasium and not the playground, which 
some even call " dumping-ground for babies, where no 
boys over seven, and not then if they look too big, are 
allowed," would hardly justify us in saying that Boston's 
idea of playgrounds is sufficiently perfected as yet. 

Should they adopt the recommendations of Mayor 
Quincy, embodied in his last annual message, and provide 
" in proper locations throughout the city numerous areas to 
serve as playgrounds " for the " physical development of her 
children and young people," they will do very well. But 
should they extend their views and efforts much farther, and 
provide playgrounds, like schools, in every section of the 
city, and equip them to serve, not only as open spaces for 
" physical development," but as educational institutions of 
the highest type, and see that this be confined not only to 



Playgrounds in American Cities. 125 

Boston, but to the extent that its influence may be able to 
reach, then they undoubtedly will do best. 

In New York, Chicago, Providence, and other cities too, 
there are some good people or societies who have procured 
some open lots or school yards, and have converted them 
into playgrounds for the summer months. In New York 
the legislature also has shown interest in the work by order- 
ing that all the schools to be built hereafter shall have 
larger yards, and the small parks to be hereafter laid out 
shall have portions devoted to the children. Other cities 
are also showing signs of moving along the same direc- 
tion. 

All these movements, however, border chiefly upon the 
physical advantages of the playgrounds. They are de- 
scribed and represented as intending to supply the poor and 
congested sections with fresh air, green spots and sunlight 
as well as to give to the children chances for free romp and 
better physical development. In other words, they seem to 
be intended to serve to the young as the parks serve to the 
adults. 

The Philadelphia Model Playgrounds Movement* So far 

* We have chosen to describe the Philadelphia Playgrounds movement, 
first, because of its novel features in some respects ; second, it may give some 
suggestions to such communities that may seek to provide playgrounds for 
themselves ; and, thirdly, because the facts connected with this movement 
have been widely misrepresented, even by some of its own advocates. Un- 
founded and over-anxious claims and other misrepresentations have been very 
thoughtlessly advanced in different ways. 



126 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

as the writer has been able to discover, therefore, he con- 
siders the Philadelphia movement for model playgrounds 
(in the light it has been looked upon in our discussion so 
far, and not as it has been variously misrepresented by 
different speakers and reporters), though yet in its infancy , 
as the best illustration of what the playgrounds should be. 
Whether there is such a comprehensive playground move- 
ment elsewhere or not, we do not know, but we can say that 
Philadelphia at least for one has started in the right direc- 
tion in this respect, and its duty of aggressively moving 
forward seems too plain, at present, to admit any departure 
therefrom. 

As we saw, for instance, this movement looks not 
only upon the physical advantages of the playground, but 
far more upon their educational advantages in a higher 
sense, especially as most efficient institutions for character 
development, as the school developes the mind. In other 
words, it looks upon the model playgrounds for children as 
most indispensable supplement to the school, the home 
and the church, for the right training of the young, and that 
without them all efforts for the moral elevation of the com- 
munity and building up of character are practically futile. 
The word " education," it holds, should imply as much the 
model playground as it implies the school. It is this which 
inspired the inception of the movement four years ago, and 



The Philadelphia Model Playgrounds Movement. 127 

has been sustaining the enthusiasm of its sincere and en- 
lightened promoters since. 

Regarding the measures of carrying its ideas into effect, 
the ultimate aim of this movement is of either creating a 
new educational board, or strengthening the existing board 
of education to the extent of taking care of the playgrounds 
as it cares for the extension and management of the schools 
throughout the city. Furthermore this movement does not 
propose to confine its work within the city alone, but to ex- 
tend it into the suburbs, the neighboring country places, and 
as far as it can reach. It holds that the country children, 
while having plenty of opportunities to enjoy the grass, the 
trees, the birds, the cattle, the wholesome atmosphere and 
other physical advantages of the country, are just as apt 
to acquire, through unguided play and sociability (so far as 
domestic duties allow them to play) habits and tendencies 
that may ruin life and character, just as well. It admits that 
the country children are, as a rule, better as well as healthier, 
than the city children ; but at the same time it holds that 
their minds are, as a rule, less active, though they may not 
proportionately be deprived from school education. The 
reason for this is because the country children are deprived 
of the opportunities of play and enjoyments of life for the 
purpose of confining them to work. Those country chil- 
dren, however, who have chances to group together for 



128 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

unguided play and enjoyment, are, as a rule, about as rough 
and viciously inclined as the " gangs " of the city streets. 

A Brief History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. The 
playground work in Philadelphia began as it did in other 
places, namely by utilizing the available spaces to the ex- 
tent possible. The first practical steps for proceeding to 
provide playgrounds, as distinct from parks, were taken up 
on June 16th, 1893, in the first meeting for the formation of 
the Culture Extension League. Up to that time the idea 
had been agitated somewhat by the press and some good 
people, but no actual efforts had been made to procure 
them, except to the extent that the idea of playgrounds was 
embodied in the one of parks. And parks have been re- 
garded in Philadelphia from its very foundation, more par- 
ticularly taken up again since 1888, thanks to the very ex- 
emplary councilman, Mr. Thomas Meehan. As we saw, 
however, parks and playgrounds are two different institu- 
tions, as schools and libraries are different. 

At the said meeting a paper on the condition of the chil- 
dren on the streets was read, and a plan of forming an or- 
ganization to better these conditions was recommended. 
The recommendations were endorsed, and the writer of 
these lines was authorized to form a committee to draft the 
constitution and by-laws of the proposed organization. At 



History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. 129 

the close of the meeting, one of the ladies present handed to 
the appointed chairman a slip of paper containing the lo- 
cation of two lots which she thought could be converted 
into playgrounds. 

The formation of the Culture Extension League was 
practically effected on the 9th of the following October, 
when the constitution was adopted, one of the clauses read- 
ing : ' To induce the community to provide proper play- 
grounds, with provisions for youth's happiness and instruc- 
tion, where the children shall be turned from the streets." 

Agitations for ripening public sentiment in favor of play- 
grounds were at once begun (together with doing practical 
work along the lines of evening homes and others), by hold- 
ing public meetings, and distributing pamphlets and circu- 
lars. Playgrounds were to be provided, first, by beginning 
to utilize the school yards, the vacant lots and squares to the 
extent possible. The officers of the city Christian En- 
deavor Union endorsed, during December, 1893, the move- 
ment and recommended it to the church young people's 
societies. This opened chances for work, and spread pretty 
widely the idea throughout many churches. It also dis- 
tributed the league's literature, maintaining that " an ideal 
educational system requires the child to be from home to 
school ; from school into the playground with its various 
provisions for his happiness, under the supervision of play- 



130 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

grounds instructors, and thence home," etc. The news- 
papers, too, gave their generous co-operation by publishing 
extracts from the circulars, accounts of the meetings, and 
editorial commendations of the movement. 

Soon the C. E. League, though promoted rather single- 
handedly, became so popular that the papers and the lead- 
ing citizens of Philadelphia generously commended it, 
though there was not such a generous response in hand- 
ling the practical work. " It is awakening considerable in- 
terest in its new reform plan," wrote the " Philadelphia 
Press," on February 23d, 1894. " It would establish in 
connection with every public school an ample playground 
with various provisions for the child's happiness under the 
supervision of the playground instructors," wrote the 
" Philadelphia Record," on February 25th of the same year. 
" Its objects are grand in contemplation," said the " Man- 
chester Union," (N. H.), about the same time, " broader 
than any charity organization has ever undertaken before 
and capable of being of wonderful assistance to the human 
family." " It will provide playgrounds and do best that 
can be done in helping the needy to help themselves," said 
the " Philadelphia Ledger." " Like societies should spring 
up all over the country," wrote the " Santa Barbara Press," 
Cal., February 24th, 1894. 

Some members of the Board of Education, who had been 



History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. 131 

encouraging the promoter of the movement from the very 
beginning, were interviewed privately regarding the open- 
ing of the school yards, which they approved heartily. 

With this encouragement, it was thought the time was 
ripe for practical work, and so at the April (monthly) meet- 
ing of the Culture Extension League, held in North Broad 
Street Presbyterian Church, April 23d, 1894, " The Condi- 
tions of the Children on the Streets " was again discussed, 
and resolutions adopted asking the Board of Education to 
throw open the suitable school yards to the children during 
the summer months, " as a beginning toward providing 
regular playgrounds in the city." This meeting was well re- 
ported in the public press, and did much good. 

At the meeting of the following May, held in St. 
Matthew's Protestant Episcopal Church, a committee was 
appointed to carry the above resolution into effect. Then it 
was also made known that practical interest in the play- 
grounds was extending ; " several ladies and gentlemen " 
were reported as having held a parlor meeting in the in- 
terests of playgrounds, and that the City Parks Association 
had just held its annual meeting, at which the needs of play- 
grounds had been brought up and urged. An extract from 
this report reads : " A need for our city is the opening of 
playgrounds in the closely built-up portions, where the 
children of the poor will be able to enjoy the pleasures of 



132 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

healthful exercise. Toward this end our Association 
is seeking to secure the use of vacant grounds and the 
yards of the public schools, where children living in the 
neighborhood can play safe from harm," etc. 

In connection with its meeting of the following June, the 
Culture Extension League arranged to hold a special mass 
meeting in the Holy Trinity Parish House, where the 
" Educational value of the playgrounds " was to be dis- 
cussed by Dr. Edward Brooks, Superintendent of the Public 
Schools, Herbert Welsh, Esq., and other representative 
speakers. It was hoped that this meeting would exert par- 
ticularly strong pressure upon the efforts of opening the 
school yards and assist the committee in charge. Unfavor- 
able weather, however, interfered seriously with the attend- 
ance, and effected its success beyond being well advertized 
editorially and otherwise by the press, and thus advancing 
the popular sentiment in favor of playgrounds. 

It was too late in the season for much further hope of 
opening the public school yards during that summer ; there 
was, however, accomplished enough practical work by pri- 
vate parties to justify the saying that playgrounds in 
Philadelphia were opened for the first time during 1894. 

Two ladies, Miss A. F. Devereux, of the Philadelphia 
P. E. City Missions, and Mrs. M. G. Harmer, of the 
Charity Society, secured jointly the yard from the trustees 



History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. 133 

of the Beck School (private), and together with the assist- 
ance of some of their friends and neighboring societies, they 
made quite a success of it. Through private subscriptions 
they procured only about enough funds to pay the salary 
of the janitor and meet other necessary expenses. As for 
teachers, they arranged so that one of them was always 
there, and often all of them, dividing the children into 
groups and playing and singing with them. They had 
about 7,000 visitors during the two months (9th of July to 
nth of September). 

The old church yard at 13th and Spruce streets was also 
granted by Archbishop Ryan, and utilized successfully dur- 
ing that summer as a playground. In answer to my inquiry 
regarding the parties that opened and sustained it, I have 
received the answer that " no other organization outside of 
the Princeton House Settlement looked after the interests." 

Besides these, Mr. Eisenhower, chief of the Bureau of 
City Property, who is another friend of the playgrounds 
movement, succeeded in getting permission to devote part 
of John Dickinson Square to children's uses. 

The Board of Education also took some steps along these 
lines, by appointing a committee to look into the possibili- 
ties of " Summer Kindergartens," as the papers which 
made it public called it. 



134 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

All these, of course, were sufficient assurance for greater 
success during the following summer. The Culture Ex- 
tension League entered its second year with encourage- 
ment from many sides. A circular was issued signed by 
over twenty of Philadelphia's most representative ministers 
like George D. Boardman, Russell H. Conwell, W. N. 
McVickar, S. D. McConnell, Charles Wood, Charles 
Roads ; educators like Dr. Edward Brooks, Prof. R. E. 
Thompson, Prof. Edmund J. James, Dr. J. G. Wight ; 
business men like W. H. Wanamaker, Rudolph Blanken- 
burg, A. Love, and editors like Dr. H. L. Wayland. It was 
addressed "To the religious, educational, moral and philan- 
thropic societies of Philadelphia and vicinity," requesting 
them to send delegates to the first annual meeting of the 
League held on the 25th of October, 1894, in the Fifth 
Baptist Church, and stating that " the movement has at- 
tracted the attention and approval of all thoughtful people." 
etc. Most of the above gentlemen were elected members 
of the Advisory Board of the League for the second year, 
and aggressive work was again entered into, though the 
active workers were still very few. 

The playgrounds work was taken up seriously from the 
very first days of the new (1895) year, and by February 19th 
a permanent Playgrounds Committee was formed consist- 



History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. 135 

ing chiefly of delegates of the Christian Endeavor Union, 
Epworth League, Baptist Young People's Union, the 
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, the Methodist 
Episcopal City Missionary Society and some Jewish so- 
cieties. 

A series of meetings were again held under the auspices 
of this committee, and many articles published. One big 
mass meeting was presided over by Mayor Warwick, and 
addressed by several prominent gentlemen, one of them be- 
ing Mr. Paul Kavanagh, chairman of the Board of Educa- 
tion's Committee on Property, who assured the audience 
that since the Board had referred to him the matter of 
opening of the school yards, he would do his best to see it 
realized. The Rev. Dr. Eckels, of the West Arch Street 
Presbyterian Church, echoed that meeting by a helpful 
sermon ; this lifted up very highly the cause of the play- 
grounds before the minds of the people. 

Besides the Culture Extension League's agitations, ably 
backed up by the presss, there was held, under the auspices 
of the Rodef Shalom (Jewish Society), a conference of the 
various organizations in the city aiming to help children, at 
which the child question in its various forms was discussed 
and resolutions adopted sustaining the project of opening 
the school yards. A parlor meeting was also held in the 
house of Mrs. John Harrison, on January 26th, where the 



136 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

question of opening the school yards was discussed and a 
resolution in its favor adopted. 

About that time — in the spring of 1895, the trolley 
system was adopted in Philadelphia, and many accidents 
to children playing on the streets stimulated the public 
sentiment very greatly in favor of playgrounds where 
" the poor little urchins could play, free from danger to life 
and limb." It can be said that the popular sentiment was 
considerably aroused and that among the conspicuous 
subjects which occupied the minds of the public spirited 
persons during the spring months of 1895, and — frequently 
brought up by the press, was the question of providing 
playgrounds for the children. 

Without the inside interest which the Board of Education 

showed through Mr. Kavanagh, however, it may still be a 
question whether much of practical results could have been 

accomplished in the public school yards during 1895. Mr. 
Kavanagh took a great personal interest in the project, and 
was determined to open several yards, even if he did not get 
a cent of appropriation. Councils, however, could not re- 
sist the pressure of the public sentiment in favor of the 
movement, and, upon a petition of several societies that had 
taken an interest in the work, they granted $1,000 for 
the purpose. Four school yards were opened during the 



History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. 137 

months of July and August. Their decided success re- 
sulted in trebling the number during 1896, and the pros- 
pects are toward rapid growth in the future, for Mr. Kava- 
nagh seems to be doing the very best he can, and the public 
sentiment is strongly behind him. 

The equipment of these playgrounds, as provided by the 
Board of Education, consist of kindergarten teachers in 
the forenoon, under the supervision of Miss Constance 
Mackenzie, Kindergarten Director, janitors for all the day, 
some piles of sand and various playthings, like jumping 
ropes, balls, buckets, sand shovels, and others. So far the 
yards have been opened during the months of July and 
August, from 8 a.m. till 6. p.m. 

Besides these, the Culture Extension League has en- 
deavored to interest especially the young people of the 
churches to go, mostly during the afternoons, in the yards 
and join the young in their exercises ; take them once or 
twice in the week to the park and other suburban places for 
change, visit them at their homes, and do whatever they can 
to make them happy. The responses to this have been gradu- 
ally increasing and the results highly gratifying. During both 
of the last two summers there have been gathered together 
from 50 to 500 children every week, divided into groups 
and given such outings, and especially last year there were 
groups of young people almost every day in some of the 



138 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

yards, playing and singing with the children and telling 
them stories. 

The profits of these arrangements have been many-sided 
and of highest nature. They have been bringing the 
classes and the masses together, showing to the one half 
how the other half lives, and have created strong ties of 
friendship between helpers and needy. The warm 
appreciation of the children has been an inspiration 
to the personal workers for greater diligence and devotion 
to the work. If the opening of these playgrounds did 
no other good, this would justify all the energy, time and 
expenditure. The writer, who had the opportunity to 
observe all the particulars connected with the school yard 
playgrounds, heartily commends this kind of " Christian 
work " to every church and to every well-disposed society 
or person. 

The Civic Club, one of the active (women's) organizations 
in the city, which took interest in the playgrounds in 1895, 
donated last year several hundreds of bean bags and $96 
for the purchase of other toys for the school yards. Some 
representatives of this organization also maintain that they 
have especially assisted the Board of Education in making 
a success of this work, by giving suggestions and recom- 
mendations ; and by having urged more liberal appro- 
priations by Councils. 



History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. 139 

Since the Board of Education took up so earnestly the 
school yard work, the Culture Extension League turned its 
energy, in the spring of 1895, toward securing for the chil- 
dren's use the various open spaces that were available, 
whether private or public. Some meetings in the interest 
of this project were also held, and it was easily popularized. 
Several owners of well-fenced but idle lots were petitioned 
to allow the children to play thereon, and hopes were ex- 
pressed publicly that if any other owner of idle lot would 
consider the good he would accomplish by granting it to the 
use of the youth wandering on the streets, he would gladly 
•do so. 

Resolutions were adopted asking the officials to hasten in 
procuring spaces for playgrounds by purchasing the suit- 
able vacant spaces, condemning property where needed, and 
especially securing grounds in the rapidly growing parts of 
the city. 

Some good people suggested the admirable plan of put- 
ting on the river piers second stories to serve as summer 
recreation places for the people as well as for the children's 
playgrounds. 

All these efforts bore fruit. They strengthened consider- 
ably the already existing public sentiment in favor of chil- 
dren's playgrounds. The city councils removed, July 1st, 
1895, the " Keep of the grass " signs from the small squares 



140 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

to all children under twelve years of age, for the summer 
months. Several enclosed lots were also thrown open to 
the children, while others at least did not chase the boys out 
when they climbed over the fences for the purpose of play- 
ing. 

The above achievements, however, though encouraging 
and commendable, likening Philadelphia to London, Bos- 
ton and other cities in this respect, were looked upon by the 
Culture Extension League as mere preliminary steps to- 
ward the model playground for all the year around as a real 
sample of what the playgrounds shall be. It was, of course, 
had in view from the very first days of the movement ; but 
was actually brought before the playgrounds committee and 
taken up on September 13th, 1895, after the successful sum- 
mer experiments, especially in the school yards, showed to 
the people what even rudiments of playgrounds can do for 
the children. At present it is still in the process of its de- 
velopment. The newness of the idea, the slowness of Phila- 
delphia, the hard times, and most of all lack of sufficient 
number of enlightened and devoted people to take hold of 
it, have deprived us from the pleasure of speaking of it as a 
full reality, though we have no doubt whatever of its high 
usefulness when completed. 

The League at present is working hard for raising the ne- 
cessary funds ($12,000 at the lowest, in addition to $5,000 



History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. 141 

already spent by the city in asphalting and coping the side- 
walks) for the completion of the work. The writer's great- 
est hope for success at present rests upon " The Women's 
Board of the Culture Extension League," a group of 
earnest women who have just joined the organization. 
They have already allied in the work with the Women's 
Health Protective Association, some ladies of the Woman's 
Christian Temperance Union, and many church young 
people's societies, and the enthusiasm for the equipment of 
this playground and its rapid duplication throughout the 
city, is very warm. 

As to the impulse toward providing playgrounds " for the 
poor and congested districts," it is rapidly spreading in 
Philadelphia, as elsewhere. The equipment of the river 
piers, as stated above, toward which the Women's Health 
Protective Association has been turning of late greater 
attention than any other agency, is fairly under way. 
Through the efforts of Dr. R. Skidelsky, president of the 
Down-town Branch of the W. H. P. A., some available 
spaces on the Delaware piers were utilized on a small scale 
last summer, as healthful and recreational spots for the 
poor. Through the efforts of the same lady a movement 
is on foot of turning a market place down-town into an 
open-air gymnasium and bath. 

A young man, Mr.A. L. Belfield, raised the question of 



142 Procuring of Playgrounds. 

converting the idle spots in Fairmount Park as playgrounds 
for young people. The Culture Extension League endorsed 
this, and appointed Mr. Belfield as chairman of a special 
committee to work it up. This idea became partly a reality 
this spring, which is due rather to the individual efforts of 
Mr. Belfield himself than to his committee. 

The parties that opened the church yard at 13th and 
Spruce streets, during 1894, have been procuring success- 
fully every summer since, one or two places as playgrounds > 
with equipments similar to those of the school yards. 

Last fall the Culture Extension League decided to turn 
at least some of the granted vacant lots into playgrounds 
after the school yard plan during favorable weather, and 
after the school hours all the year round, which will not 
only accomplish some actual good, but also open more 
widely the way for extention of the model playgrounds. 

This is just about being taken up. The first lot to be 
converted into such a playground will be at 226. and Cal- 
lowhill streets, granted by Mr. M. A. Furbush & Co. It 
may be opened until nine o'clock in the evening. 

Besides these there is a growing feeling among the inter- 
ested in favor of appealing to the Board of Education to 
have the school yards opened till 9 p.m., or maybe even a 
little longer, supplied with light and benches, and thus give 
a chance to the parents who crowd the doorsteps after the 



History of the Philadelphia Playgrounds. 143 

toils of the day, often in quarrels with neighbors on account 
of the young, to come in and find a more restful and en- 
joyable time among the more decently playing children. 
Mr. Kavanagh has intimated to the writer that he heartily 
favors this, and this summer we may have several play- 
grounds opened at night. 

Recently the work of the Culture Extension League 
was presented to the Presbyterian and Methodist ministerial 
associations by Rev. M. J. Eckels, D.D., and Prof. R. E. 
Thompson, D.D., and in both places was manifested a great 
interest in the playground movement. The Methodists 
showed a desire to do whatever they can to farther it, and 
the Presbyterians even appointed a committee to wait upon 
the Mayor of the city and petition him to lend his greater 
support to the work. 

The feeling in favor of playgrounds is rapidly becoming 
so general, though it is not fully ripe in people's minds as 
yet, that by the time the fierce summer heat descends upon 
us, it will not be a surprise if any other agency steps forward 
and lends a hand to the work, thus hastening the time of 
attaining that desired end, intended from the beginning, 
namely, of providing ample playgrounds all over the city 
for attracting, invigorating and guiding the young in their 
open air exercise, and thus serving as a connecting link 
between the home, the school and the church. 



VII. 

a ^Slea to tfye !Eespotxstfclr. 

May we close our discussion with an earnest plea on be- 
half of the cause that has been advocated, for certainly too 
much of attention cannot be turned towards it in its present 
condition. We have named this "A plea to the Respon- 
sible," but it is very hard to specify who come within this 
class. In one sense it includes everybody ; in another, it 
includes those who have superior influence over others ; and 
still in another sense it includes those who are leaders, com- 
manders of the public resources, moulders of the public 
sentiment, whether officially or intellectually, and therefore 
in position to supply or deprive the community of almost 
anything they chose. 

We will take it in the sense including all those who feel 
that they can do something in some way along these lines 
of creating an educational system able to produce 
thoroughly developed manhood and womanhood. We 
should not forget that this is the only way of bringing peace 
and happiness among men. Let us not forget that no mat- 
ter how rich every man and woman may become and 
for which so many reformers are working ; no matter how 
developed intellectually he or she may be ; how good and 



To the Educators. 145 

just the laws and social regulations of the community may 
be, if the people are corrupt in character, if the machinery 
of the normal life is upset and uncontrollable, then misery 
will prevail ; then "all attempts to secure property, liberty 
or life by mere force of laws written on parchment will be as 
vain as putting up printed notices in an orchard to keep off 
canker worms." " Not education, but character, is man's 
greatest need and man's safeguard." Not money and intel- 
lect should govern the world, as is the case to-day, but moral 
character and intellect, associated with moral excellence." 
Such excellence cannot be attained without observing the 
natural order of things or applying the natural means and 
methods as we endeavored to show. If those upon whom 
the responsibilities rest would turn their attention to the 
matter and organize forces, create systems of work, and be- 
gin aright with the training of the youth, they would create 
an epoch in human progress almost unprecedented. 

First the educators should fall in the line of this work. 
They certainly must recognize that they have been one- 
sided ; in their practical work they have not considered the 
education of the whole man. By devoting their attention to 
and considering education as being chiefly the training and 
instruction in the schools, colleges, universities and other 
institutions of learning, building massive structures for 



146 A Plea to the Responsible. 

" educational honor " and exhausting the people's educa- 
tional resources in equipment and maintenance of these 
institutions, they remind one of those patriots who have 
o:::-idered their national honor as consisting in building: 
huge labyrinthic palaces and courts for their kings and 
lords, though by so doing they have ground down and en- 
slaved the people. 

The educators, therefore, ought not any longer to con- 
tent themselves with this one-sided activity. Thev should 
assume it as their duty — the full and harmonious education 
of man. They should enlighten and educate the public sen- 
timent upon this subject, and then it will be able to take 
care of itself. 

The press can be made the greatest and most efficient 
echo to the educator's voice, as well as being very helpful 
in its own way, if it only complied with its moral responsi- 
bilities before God and humanity. At present the press 
does not do this. It has been often charged with inflicting 
a deadly blow upon the moral life of the people by its im- 
pure, slanderous and pernicious contents. The American 
press especially has been called. " daily sewers." " muck- 
rake journalism." — entering even purest homes — reeking 
with filth. Its columns are often filled with what an editor 



To the Press. 147 

would not dare to relate to a respectable company, and what 
people look upon with contempt and abomination. 

The press, on the other hand, defends itself by saying that 
it publishes what people want. They want to read some- 
thing new and sensational, no matter what effect it may pro- 
duce upon them, and therefore " we must either sell what is 
in demand or else our revenue ceases." Besides this, it is 
said, the newspaper is performing its duty as a public edu- 
cator by publishing the daily events of life as they occur, and 
thus give chance to people to see their actual conditions, 
something of course sufficiently meritorious. 

Now, the fiist of these " excuses " is absurd. People buy 
the paper for the news, and perhaps, for other reading mat- 
ter in it, and it cannot be said the morally detestable stuff is 
gratifying so much to the sinful nature of man that he will 
not buy the paper if it does not publish it. The editor says 
that he publishes " what people desire to read," and is " not 
responsible for the results." But what about the desires 
and tastes that he himself thereby creates ? How often it 
is that people do not care to know anything about certain 
matter, neither is it worth knowing much about, until the 
newspapers come with long and drumy articles, maybe 
grossly exaggerated, and with elaborate stories, and create 
such a sensation about what is, perhaps, insignificant mat- 
ter, as to attract the attention of everybody, and thus pervert 



148 A Plea to the Responsible. 

both mind and character. What excuse can the press bring 
for this ? 

A brutal prize-fight between two human beings, for in- 
stance, is nothing unusual. No matter what else could 
be said about it, it, in itself, does not go beyond being 
merely a common, rude, act, fitted to gratify low and de- 
based tastes. There are many ways through which physi- 
cal strength and athletic skill can be exhibited without 
brutality. The sensation such fights sometimes create, es- 
pecially among Americans, however, is simply shocking. 
People come from all quarters, and blockading the streets 
to look upon the bulletin boards as if it were something 
of the greatest importance to the human race. 

And who causes all this ? The newspapers. For weeks 
and months before the event takes place they talk about it, 
illustrate it in various manners, describe the arms, the 
shoulders, the muscles, the physical condition of the men ; 
tell, may be, what they eat, how they sleep, what they talk 
about, how they are trained, and pointing to the eventful 
day with greatest emphasis. The day of the brutal fight 
comes, and the papers again fill up their columns with 
illustrations and descriptions, and even issue extra editions 
to make the most out of it. And in this they succeed 
very well. In the evening the atmosphere is full of it, and 
everybody talks about it. The boys begin marching the 



To the Press. 149 

streets and cheering the distinguished hero who has made 
himself famous by the great act of knocking down and 
maybe knocking senseless a fellow being ! 

Referring to the state where a recent fight was held, a 
speaker says : 

" I have been wondering whether Nevada was in the 
United States or within the borders of hell itself. The two 
dogs who fought will stand before a greater Judge some 
day, and side by side with them will stand those who share 
that black guilt. All those who witnessed the sight of man- 
hood's ruin will be there. All those who touched their 
moneys to the fires of hell will be there. The officials of 
that shameless state will be there. I am ashamed of our 
country." 

He, however, omitted probably the most conspicuous 
party who " will be there " and upon whom the greatest 
shame devolves, namely, the newspapermen, who spread 
that pestilential influence all over the country and made it 
amount to so much. 

If this energy was directed toward uplifting humanity in 
some direction, what results for themselves as well as for the 
people would the papers have produced ! 

As to the "service" they render to the community by 
making it see itself as others see it, there is a good deal in 



150 A Plea to the Responsible. 

this so far as they give the facts. " When it is only a news- 
paper, no more and no less ; when it acquaints the public 
with the living issues of the times, bringing to their atten- 
tion the uplifting and the down-pulling tendencies of the 
age." The papers, however, seldom give us what they 
should. A great many of the vile stories, unclean sugges- 
tions, sensational reports, stirring accounts of wrong-doing, 
and countless other things, are, to say the least, often ex- 
aggerations, even inventions, of the newspapers themselves 
" for the purpose of gratifying vitiated tastes which they 
themselves may have created and cultivated." 

Is it necessary to add to this also the readiness with which 
" the press sells itself, under comparatively slight money 
temptation " to trusts, monopolists, politicians, liquor men 
and others that grind and destroy life and manhood ? As 
a Philadelphia weekly says : " This is the basest sort of 
prostitution and degradation of which a newspaper can 
possibly be capable." Indeed the press is a great mirror 
through which humanity can see how low it has descended. 

Of course it must not be forgotten that there are some 
pure papers worthy of respect and confidence. It is only 
a pity there are not more of them. 

What a grand and noble work would be for any influen- 
tial and able editor or publisher to come out and take a 
strong stand for relieving the press of these conditions ! 



To the Officials. 151 

The purification of the press and making it an instrument for 
good, cannot come by people refusing to buy it, as has been 
recommended. This work must at least be started and lead 
by the press itself. Let the better ones step forward, band 
together, show to the public that they really mean to help 
humanity upward and not downward ; let them also be on 
guard and show where untruthfulness and impurity come 
from, and then is there not a fair hope of final success ? 

There is plenty of material for publishing by which the 
newspapers can make themselves attractive and acceptable, 
if they only turn their attention towards it, as they do now 
toward prize-fights, murders, and other vices, for the pur- 
pose of gratifying tastes of that sort. There are, for in- 
stance, enough tragedies among the children on the streets 
and the poorer classes in the cities. Should they describe 
them as they are, and call the public to its duties, could not 
this be made sufficiently interesting and admirable ? 

To the officials. While the press can be made the most 
efficient echo to the voice of the educators in creating and 
educating public sentiment in favor of the highest elevation 
of humanity, the officers of the government should be the 
most willing to assist in the practical work, so far as it de- 
volves upon them. It certainly is not sufficient to merely 
run the established citv or national machines. It is not for 



152 A Plea to the Responsible. 

the greatest national honor to maintain a big and well- 
equipped army ; to build large marble structures, conveni- 
ent roads, telegraphs and channels ; defending life and 
property; to fight political parties and enemies, or to main- 
tain offices and execute laws. All these, no matter how im- 
portant or good, must, after all, be means to farther ends. 
The highest aim of the government should be the develop- 
ment of best manhood and womanhood of its citizens. This 
is the highest object of life. But this is the very thing 
which the governments of the world seem to have kept and 
still think least about. 

What a contrast, for instance, to see, as the writer 
witnessed not long since, a large, colossal structure of 
glassy marble, spreading from one block to the other, upon 
which the government has spent millions for the people's 
honor and glory, and all along its pavement, idle, dissipated 
human beings, and in front of nearly every one a running 
stream of tobacco juice. It was a most detestable and re- 
pulsive scene ! But, nevertheless, the cities are full of such 
human beings. 

There was recently published a suggestion that New 
York city drive out of its midst the criminals and idlers : 
but an answer was given that the huge and wealthy 
metropolis would be very materially emptied by its so 
doing ! 



To the Officials. 153 

Some attribute this to the prevalent economical injus- 
tices, lack of employment, desperate struggle for existence, 
etc. Others attribute it to ignorance ; others to the fallen 
human nature. In America they have a standing excuse 
of attributing this to the foreigners, etc. 

While all these causes are, perhaps, to blame, still they 
are not the only, neither are they the chief producers of 
this serious state of affairs. Here, for instance, is an ex- 
tract from the United States' prison report for 1890 : " Oi 
the 82,329 inmates of prisons during that year, only 15,932 
were definitely found to be foreign born ; 50,362, or nearly 
two thirds, were employed at the time of their arrest ; only 
19,631 unable to read and write, and, what is especially im- 
pressive, only 16,000 were set down as drunkards, while 
12,616 claimed to be total abstainers." 

This is quoted mostly for those who are lead by figures. 
We, however, are flooded with illustrations from each side 
bearing evidences that it is not altogether ignorance, not 
poverty, not always want of good homes, not always want of 
religious instruction that drags people down. Neither are 
we to consider the prisons' or penitentiaries' inmates only. 
We must look much more at the prevalent lack of manhood 
that exists as well among the silk hats, wealth and fashion 
as among rags. 

The real source of this evil comes from the lack of proper 



154 <A Plea to the Responsible. 

training, especially when the young are out of home, out 
of school and out of church. There they " grow rather like 
weeds " than being " reared like humans." New York, like 
other cities, is overcrowded with tramps and idlers because 
its streets are overcrowded with children growing in most 
sinful neglect, organized in " gangs " or bands for mutual 
fights, mischief and crime; breathing on the streets and else- 
where the polluted atmosphere \\ hich produces adepts in 
idleness, crime and dissipation, by which they ruin them- 
selves as well as contaminate others. 

These lines are being written but a few steps from another 
immense structure, a " $20,000,000 marble pile." An article 
in front of me describes and illustrates " a whole lot of no- 
bodys " who often wander to and fro, sitting and spitting* 
around the granite coping as if given way to their marred 
and stinted lives. And the article suggests well enough 
how much the conditions of these " solitary mortals " takes 
away from the pride of the city, and those citizens who seem 
to seek national or city glory in polished bricks, stones and 
mortar instead of producing human beings capable of en- 
joying them. 

But how did these and thousands like them in the city 
become such ? One can pick out many of them who but 
a few years ago were bright and cheerful boys, running 
around, doing mischief, picking cigarettes, indulging in 



To the Officials. 155 

profanity and every sort of baleful practices for fun and 
pleasure that ruined both body and soul. 

The voices of those who will soon inherit these wrecks I 
hear now. A flock of boys crowding every day in the 
small alley nearby, in the very shadow of the highly exalted 
statue of William Penn, and about the only resting spot that 
they can find in the neighborhood. I have often listened 
to their language and observed their acts in play. How 
has it happened that not one word, one act is spared from 
the influence that mars and destroys both life and char- 
acter ! All their amusement consists in roughness, rude- 
ness, disorder, quarrels, enragements, profanity and other 
vicious tendencies. 

And so, to have matters shortened, does the govern- 
ment desire to do its duty toward the highest needs of the 
community ? Let it turn its most serious attention toward 
providing wholesome environments, proper playgrounds, 
elevating surroundings ; let it procure the necessary condi- 
tions for the proper training of the youth, for the develop- 
ment of highest types of manhood and womanhood possible. 
Then the marble structures will not only deserve the name 
of being an honor to the people, but their walls will be free 
from unsightly yellow stains, and their air free from its 
repulsive stench. 



156 A Plea to the Responsible. 

To the charitable and philanthropic. These good-hearted 
people, who fill another conspicuous place in the endeavors 
of serving human need, have been charged very considerably 
with injudiciousness in distributing their charities. And 
when one looks into matters more carefully, he does feel 
constrained to say that these friends of humanity would 
really be far more useful if they were exercising as much dis- 
cretion as kindness. The daily appeals and bequests to 
charities, for instance, concern the incurables, the hos- 
pitals, reformatories of every sort : the homeless, the in- 
digent, the old, the dependent of every description. Of 
course all these should be looked after, but the point is that 
no due, if any, attention seems to be paid to the causes that 
produce these needs. What the charitable have chiefly 
been doing so far. is cleaning off the leakage of the wound? 
of life, but leaving the deep wounds themselves to spread. 
And what is the result ? Just like in the case of the govern- 
ment, the more prisons, asylums and penitentiaries it 
builds, the more the candidates multiply. So the more the 
charitable give, the more the need and the demands in- 
crease, and they wonder what to do ! Go to the fountain- 
head, to the root of the evil ! Take hold not only of the 
homeless children and those under cruel treatment, but 
much more take hold of the those children who swarm the 
streets of the cities and towns ! Take hold even of those 



To the Charitable and Philanthropic. 157 

whom the parents feed, clothe, and maybe do their level best 
to educate, but who still are cast among bad companions, 
bad environments, bad play and amusements outside, that 
both bring them up as delinquent men and women as well 
as turning their won children into subjects for " charity" 
or " Correction." This is the greatest volcano of evil in 
the community to-day. 

We can suggest no better way through which charitable 
and benevolent people can invest their money and energy 
for the moral elevation of humanity than by providing 
model playgrounds for the children. Before building any 
more luxurious attachments to schools, colleges, universi- 
ties, or multiplying churches when the existing ones are so 
empty, we must take up those branches of human interests, 
the neglect of which has upset so much man's normal state 
of life. Supplying a neighborhood with a playground by 
the parents of a deceased child, would be the best and most 
welcome memorial that could be erected. Or a rich person, 
by leaving his millions to a city or town for children's play- 
grounds, will do far more good than by establishing 
the best colleges, universities — or erecting cathedrals. 

To the Church. The most efficient way through which the 
church can help along these, as well as along some other 
lines of human progress, is the one of making itself a strong 



158 A Plea to the Responsible. 

instrument for creating and educating public sentiment and 
fostering faithfulness to duty. But first of all, perhaps, the 
church should make plain its own place in the science of 
human needs. It is a mistake, as many seem inclined, to re- 
quire from the church the settlement of political, economi- 
cal, social or other questions, or be identified with them, as 
it is a mistake to have politics or economics meddle with re- 
ligion. These are scientifically different departments of 
human interests, and should be kept separate. 

And so, the church must make it plain that religion, 
serves directly but one of the several departments of human 
needs, namely, his religious or spiritual needs. This, it 
seems, should be its official work. 

There is an educational work, however, which has been 
much neglected — hardly even recognized — but is vitally im- 
portant, which should be carried out under the auspices of 
the church. This is the education that comes from bringing 
the classes and the masses closer together; training through 
personal contact between one individual and another ; 
bringing poor, helpless and careless classes under the care 
of some helpers who can show them a friendly hand in 
every way possible, especially by directing the proper train- 
ing of their children. The vast influence which people 
exert unconsciously upon each other could be so handled 
and directed as to serve as a most efficient educational 
system, without injuring the personal liberty of any one. 



To the Church. 159 

The church could be made the leading instrument in bring- 
ing this about, should she awake her potent forces to use- 
fulness, and direct them " about doing good " on the play- 
grounds, evening homes, providing elevating places of 
amusements, and others. All this should be done on its 
own merits and not as meant to religious ends. 

The above does not mean exactly development of the 
" institutional church " system. This, we believe, in some 
respects, is a mistake. For the church to leave its work to 
suffer and go after building schools, colleges and work- 
shops, especially in civilized communities where there are 
educational boards for the purpose, is as wise as having the 
blacksmith to do the work of the tinner, or the butcher to 
do the work of the surgeon. 

While it is not the duty of the church to do the work of 
the politicians, the economists or the educators, she can ac- 
complish the same ends by educating public sentiment 
along these lines, and watch that those whose duty it is to 
look after these matters, should execute their duties faith- 
fully. Indeed, the church, well-organized for the purpose 
of prompting the observance of highest moral principles in 
all public and social matters, can exert greatest power for 
good. We say well-organized, because lack of organiza- 
tion is about the chief hindrance to the potency of the 
church for producing a greater amount of good. 



160 A Plea to the Respo?isible. 

What are called Sunday evening lectures, for instance, de- 
livered by the ministers in the churches, bearing on various 
moral topics, are of great moral force ; but at present each 
one of them runs in a different direction, and thus practi- 
cally remains as spent on desert air. Should they be con- 
centrated upon one public need or remedying one certain 
evil by showing to the public the truth and appealing to 
their sense of duty, what could stop such a collective voice, 
especially if echoed by the press, from a thorough success ? 

It is not necessary for the churches to invent or devise 
every time plans of action. In some cases they need only 
back up the movements already in existence. 

In the way of elevating humanity by building up of per- 
sonal, manly and womanly characters, they cannot do better 
than to uphold and spread the Culture Extension League's 
plans of work, as co-operating with the church. Under the 
existing social conditions, this is the best and most neces- 
sary supplement to the school, the church, and the home, for 
leading men into the virtues of life. 

In closing, let us say again, begin aright with the child, 
and you will have but little trouble with the man. Train 
the child in the ways he should go, and when he is old he 
will not depart from it. Socrates is quoted as having said 
twenty-three centuries ago, that if he could, he would 



A Plea for the Children. 161 

ascend the highest top of Athens and lift his voice in saying: 
" What mean ye, fellow citizens, that ye turn every stone 
to scrape wealth together, and take so little care of your 
children, to whom one day ye must relinquish it all ? " 

Is it not probable that if Socrates lived to-day, he would 
say about the same thing to every city in the civilized world? 
Undoubtedly he would. In spite of all our pride with Pes- 
talozzi, Comenius, Herbart, Spencer, and even Froebel ; 
in spite of all our boasting with our schools, colleges, uni- 
versities, kindergartens, churches, Sunday schools and edu- 
cational agencies of every kind, Socrates would marvel 
at our neglect of youth by letting them grow to be 
almost anything but true men and women. It does seem 
that about the chief progress we have made in the way of 
moral training of the child during the last twenty-three 
centuries, is shown by shutting ourselves within the church 
walls and lamentably singing : " Where is my wandering 
boy to-night ? " as if the world is a gloomy and mysterious 
chasm of darkness eagerly yawning to swallow and destroy. 
We seem to forget that if the world appears to be such, it is, 
after all, man himself who has made it such, and that he can 
just as well turn it into a paradise on earth, possessed by 
millennial conditions, if he only comply with the laws that 
lead thereunto. 



APPENDIX. 



Religion anti Character. 

A resume of their dependence and independence of each other. 



The following discussion is not based on any theological doc- 
trines, or inspired much by theological literature. In fact, we do 
not know whether the subject has been treated from the standpoint 
of the present treatise. What we will endeavor to say, therefore, 
will be independent of the opinion of other writers. It is based 
rather on pondering over personal religious experience and direct 
communication with the plain teachings of the Scriptures while 
studying the subject of character development. 

I preferred not to have discussed this question here. It really 
w ould not have been brought up were it not for the fact that in the 
popular mind the subject of religion is so closely connected, almost 
synonymous, with that of character, considered in our foregoing 
pages, as if they can by no means be dissociated. So prevalent 
seems to be this belief that no matter what else may be said on the 
subject of character or the moral training of man, it may be re- 
garded as of no account, unless based on religious teachings. 

In view of this, we will endeavor to explain our understanding of 
the relations between religion and character, and thus make clearer 
what we believe to be the more correct science of character develop- 
ment. 

We of course do not claim infallibility in this discussion; still 
less do we believe that the language expresses fully and correctly 
our thoughts. We believe, however, that this treatise is suffi- 
ciently meritorious to justify its publication. We would be satis- 
fied if the specialists on this important and rather delicate ques- 
tion would take some hints of this discussion, and carry it to its 
further development. 



1 66 Religion and Character. 

By religion in the discussion we mean the Christian or the 
Biblical religion, unless otherwise explained. By the word spirit- 
ual or spirituality is to be understood the simple or direct gift of 
the Holy Spirit. The church is taken at her practical work as ex- 
pounder of Christianity and the service of the Holy Ghost. 

The Claims of the Church. — As was stated elsewhere, the main 
position the church holds regarding the uplifting of human charac- 
ter may be considered from two standpoints, Christian education and 
Christian regeneration. The first recommends teaching the will of 
God and His relation toward man, mostly as they are stated in the 
Scriptures; showing God's mercy and love toward man; the bless- 
ings He bestows in this world upon those who follow His will, 
and the rewards in the world to come, as well as the heavy respon- 
sibilities of those who decline to follow the holy and loving will 
of the righteous God. This, it seems, is supposed will induce the 
child as well as the adult to live and act as they know they 
should. 

As we saw, the chief instrumentality through which the church 
endeavors to instill these doctrines is the Sunday School, though 
much is accomplished by the homes and even by some secular 
schools. The Sunday School is considered pre-eminently the 
place where " the rich and the poor meet together to learn and 
feel that the Lord is the maker of them all. Being taught pure- 
ness, love for one's neighbor, fair treatment of capital and labor, 
sympathy for the suffering, temperance, thrift, generosity, punc- 
tuality, orderliness, love of the country and its flag, love of God 
and the personal imitation of a living, loving, personal Christ. Is 
it not fair to expect that the outcome will make for good citizen- 
ship on earth and in heaven." 

The second aspect of the church teaching is that of regenera- 
tion. Man may know the will of God, it is said, but he is too weak 
to follow it. By turning his heart unto God, however, the Holy 
Spirit enters therein, regenerates and sanctifies him, and thus fits 



C/aims of the Church. 167 

him for this world as well as for the world to come. " Spirituality, 
it is claimed, is life physical, moral, intellectual, social, which has 
come from our relation to God." 

There is a great deal of common ground between these two 
aspects of the church teachings. In most cases the one is con- 
sidered merely the forerunner of the other, and it is quite diffi- 
cult to show where the one ends and the other begins; but still one 
cannot lose sight of them as the leading points of the Christian 
ideals and activities. The church, the Sunday School, the mis- 
sions and chapels which constitute the Christian life and work, 
consisting pre-eminently in holding various religious services, 
preaching and teaching the Scriptures, — all aim at making man 
through religion good, strong, and manly in this world as well as 
saving him in eternity. 

It is true that some Christian teachers recommend also " secu- 
lar " education and the supplying of other necessities of man in 
order to elevate his character; but yet this they consider only of 
" secondary importance." " The real check upon selfishness and 
development of the ethical side of life comes from a heart re- 
newed by the Holy Spirit, a will devoted to God." 

So long has this position been held by the church, so firmly 
does she seem to stand by it to-day, and so much of wealth and 
energy does she expend in its support, that there could not be 
taken a more delicate step by any one than to come out and ven- 
ture to say that these claims of the church are not altogether well- 
founded. We will endeavor to review the principle points and ar- 
guments of her claims, and by this try to show the causes of her 
failure to more effectually uplift human character. 

A Triple Nature of Man. — Before entering into the discussion, 
however, let us take into consideration that nature of man upon 
which religion and other agencies act. This is as necessary as it 
is necessary for the artist to know the material with which he 
deals. 



1 68 Religion and Character. 

Man has been described psychologically as possessing dual 
nature, — namely, rational, reasoning or intellectual; and second, 
ethical or moral. By the first he acquires knowledge, an acquaint- 
ance with the surrounding world, an intellectual conviction of truth 
or aggregate of facts, truths and principles, whether scientific, re- 
ligious, moral, philosophical, or others, arising from proper evi- 
dence that a mental apprehension corresponds with reality, or 
that which it represents. 

The ethical part arises from the emotions or the feelings, and 
concerns the principles at the foundation of the right regulation 
of conduct, the impulse of living and acting in accordance with 
truth and justice as the conscious in best light dictates; "cordial 
conformity to strict uprightness in life and a conscientious regard 
for duty." 

In addition to these two, however, a third, the religious nature 
of man, should be distinctly recognized as apart from the others. 
This concerns the acceptance of the Holy Spirit, and bringing the 
soul in conscious relation to God. It is not a mere moral senti- 
mentality, not habit or habits, not something to be satisfied purely 
by human efforts of any kind. It is an instinct seeking satisfac- 
tion only from Divine or Spiritual sources. Even the most moral 
person when this religious element of his nature is appealed to by 
the Divine Spirit, finds himself " a new man." What this newness 
is will be explained further on. 

Now, the first of these three elements which go to make up a 
complete human nature, is cared for to-day by the educational 
provisions, technically speaking; and all concerned in it build var- 
ious institutions of learning on its behalf. The third concerns his 
religion, and the free gift of the Holy Spirit is recognized as the 
only endower and sustainer of it. The second great element, how- 
ever, involves his moral character, and how it should be developed 
is the much disputed question between the educators, theologians, 
and philosophers. We have seen that the educators are mis- 



Triple Nature of Man. Church Arguments. 169 

taken in maintaining, as they apparently do, that by merely im- 
parting moral facts and principles in his mind, the character of a 
man is insured. We have also seen the impractability of the 
claims of those who require the work of character building to be 
done at the home alone. Now we shall endeavor to show the mis- 
takes of those representatives of the church who claim that religious 
influence, particularly through the regenerating power of the Holy 
Spirit, covers the ground of the moral character. Let us take up, 
then, some of the arguments the church brings in support of her 
claims. 

Christian Civilisation. — One. in fact, the chief argument which 
the upholders of the above teachings of the church always point 
out prominently, is that Christianity has made a great progress in 
uplifting man in character, as well as otherwise, because it has 
brought with it " the Christian civilization of the nineteenth cen- 
tury," and has made the great distinction that exists between the 
Chrsitian and non-Christian world. See how high the Christian 
world stands to-day, they say ; how enlightened their minds, how 
engentled their manners, how advanced even in science, industrj\ 
in social relations, in charity and in humaniterianism of every sort; 
how just their laws and customs toward man. woman, and child, — 
toward the strong and the weak alike. On the other hand, see how 
far behind are the un-Christian nations in these and other re- 
spects! And if Christianity has accomplished this much in the 
elevation of man, why could it not continue till it makes him per- 
fect? 

To this may be answered: " Let us come and reason together." 
Let us go below the surface of these arguments, strong in them- 
selves, and carefully try to examine if such premises and conclu- 
sions are in reality so correct as we are expected to believe them 
to be. 

Rational Benefits from Religion. — That Christianity through the 



17° Religion and Character. 

Biblical teachings has been of immense, of highest "Rational'' 
advantage to our modern civilization, this no thoughtful person can 
question. It has imparted to the mind knowledge of truth that 
has superceded even* other form of knowledge. It has revealed to 
the mind the Creator of the universe as science has revealed 
to it the creation. It has shown to us that God is our father and 
we his children and brothers in Him: that He has created us after 
His image; even that He has expressed His love twoard us by 
sending His Son to redeem us from the law's curse, and " trans- 
ferred us unto God's family; " that we must follow His paths which 
are holy; that this life is not the end of all, but merely preliminary 
to the ternity. where man will be with Him after whose image he 
was created." etc. 

All this knowledge embraces truths of the highest order; truth 
that concerns man's highest interests. It has revealed to man his 
destiny, that he has not come blindly into this world and blindly 
passes through it. but rather that he is sown here to rise, through 
death, in the eternity. 

Knowledge of these sublime truths has elevated human 
thoughts, and has enlightened the mind, as it seems nothing else 
could have done. Without it man. indeed, would have been in a 
pitiable condition of a gloomy and mysterius darkness of heathen- 
ism, though he might have advanced in other branches of life. 

Man in return bows before this Biblical teaching, at least for- 
mally. He has recognized it in his laws, customs, and worship, 
and professes to be its believer and follower. 

Its Direct Moral Effects Questioned. — But. after all. it is asked 
how far has this gone beyond the mind in effecting the practical 
life of man? Has the acquirement of these sublime facts made 
man correspondingly good in his actual life? Has this knowledge 
which has enriched and elevated his mind, elevated corresponding- 
ly his character? 

A great many do not like to have this placed in question. They 



Religious Influence over Character Questioned. 171 

want it rather granted that the world has much advanced morally 
as otherwise, which it owes to the influence of the Christian re- 
ligion. Should the moral efficiency of religion in the practical life 
be questioned, it is said this will entail an undervaluation of its 
power and depreciation of its influence, and this is neither desir- 
able nor fair. 

Now. the fears of such good friends are groundless, since they 
rest upon the misapprehension of the facts. As a Christian, the 
writer for one. sees no diminution of the Divine glory of the 
church or of Christianity and its saving power when saying that 
the above questions are sufficiently justified to require our atten- 
tion. It is true that there are plenty of prigs and pedants whose 
absurdity in denouncing religion and Christianity does not deserve 
any attention: but it must be admitted that these questions are also 
raised by men whose reasons are too well-founded to admit of our 
ignoring or overlooking them. There are historians, sociologists. 
and other students of human progress, who maintain that man is 
far from having advanced in character, practical goodness, as he 
has advanced in the knowledge of it. That knowledge even of 
Divine truths does not seem to improve him any more in this re- 
spect than knowledge of scientific or natural truths do. though 
there is no question as to their benificent effects upon the intel- 
lectual side of his nature. 

They conclude this from the evidences that in essence there 
seem to exist about as strong a tendency toward evil doing as there 
has been in the past, though at the present time this tendency 
manifests itself in a more intellectual or thoughtful way: that if 
there is a real progress for. the better, it is " despairingly slow; " 
that this evil tendency seem to exist among Christians as among 
non-Christians; that many confess to know, believe, and even wor- 
ship these Divine truths, and still apparently act. behave, and live 
contrary to them, and that finally what we consider progress is 
often merely a revolution in a circle. Among the upholders of this 



172 Religion and Character. 

side are many Christians, even ministers, the latter attributing this 
'" sad fact " to the " natural depravity of mankind." 

In other words, this but confirms our statement in connection 
with the claims of the educators, that knowledge and intellectual 
training alone, no matter how perfect and sublime they are, no 
matter if it is knowing of the Supreme God, Creator, and Ruler of 
the universe, and of His love toward His creation, is not sufficient 
by itself to induce man to live and act in accordance with his 
knowledge. He must be made in different ways to live accordingly. 

Thus the question remains open; has been much discussed; pos- 
sesses good amount of literature, and still is unsettled. 

Now it seems that the very existence of such questions sug- 
gests that if religion builds up character, as it enriches the mind 
and leads to soul-saving, there should not be doubt at all re- 
garding the substantial growth in goodness of those nations which 
have been Christian for centuries. This alone can incline a 
thoughtful mind to reconsider its claims and beliefs in this highly 
important matter. 

Evidences from the Practical Life. — Though this question may 
seem a wide and complex one, there is a rather short and easy way 
of obtaining a satisfactory answer to it. In order to know whether 
religion moves the world forward morally, in practical goodness, 
as it does spiritually, and in some respects intellectually; and in 
order to know whether the present advanced civilization can be 
called Christian civilization, it is sufficient to examine the charac- 
ter of the leading elements in the modern civilization, and see 
whether they are possessed by the Christian spirit or not. This 
must be an acceptable test. We certainly cannot attribute any 
effect to any cause without finding the character of the cause 
stamped upon the effect. But 

What is the Character of Christianity? — Before going further. 



Essence of Christianity. 173 

however, let us note the facts that what Christianity is, what it 
teaches, what it recommends, what it approves and disapproves, 
what it condemns and what it applauds, are entirely different things 
of what it actually does itself. It is hoped the difference is plain, 
but it is due very largely to the failure of observing this difference 
in practical life that the church, or it may be better to say, those 
Christians who have been depending upon religion for the pro- 
duction of the moral character, have been making a most injur- 
ious mistake. There has been a custom to pray for many things 
which the Scriptures recommend as beneficial to man, or which 
have been found in the life of Christ and the saints, expecting 
these gifts to fall, as it were, like manna from heaven, and forget- 
ting that they are stored within our reach, and that we must exert 
our energy in obtaining them. 

We will speak farther what Christianity really does. Here let 
us glance briefly at that which it is, which it idealizes, recommends, 
and of that which it undoubtedly would have instilled in life if it 
were in its scope to do so. 

Christianity, in a sense, is a teaching, imparting intellectual 
knowledge, as we already spoke. In another and very broad sense 
it is an idea, expressing a Divine plan in human destiny. But 
strictly speaking, Christianity is an agency instituted by God for the 
purpose of serving the spiritual needs of man, as evidently no 
other agency could have done. 

Now, as a teaching, Christianity not only denounces evil doing, 
but considers it sufficient sin to allow evil thought to enter into the 
mind. It recommends and exacts perfect justice, giving the rights 
to man, woman, and child, to the strong and weak alike. It for- 
bids corruption and lawlessness of any sort; commends just treat- 
ment between capital and labor; denounces vanity; condemns hy- 
pocrisy; commends undefined charity; forbids jealousy, selfishness, 
greed, animosity, avarice, covetousness, and everything that man's 
own conscience condemns as wicked, and recommends everything 
contrary to these vices. It also commends itself as an example to 



174 Religion and Character. 

man, but after all it leaves it upon the man himself to observe 
these matters. In other words, Christianity in a sense is like a 
earthly teacher, who, after specifying his own individuality and 
commending his own character, proceeds to give instructions, en- 
lightening the mind, calling attention to what man shall do and 
what he shall not do, etc.: but it is the recipient of this instruction 
who is to do accordingly; the teacher does not do it for him. 
The distinction between these two activities is of very great im- 
portance in our discussions. 

The modern civilization, as we said, intellectually bows before 
the supremacy of these teachings and virtues of Christianity; has 
recognized them in the books of its laws, and its ethical teachings 
are based very largely on them. 

But to come again on the question: Does this " Christian civili- 
zation " possess the Christian character as indicated above? By 
no means. Every one admits that politics, religion, patriotism, 
charity, philanthropy, liberty, church, good laws, industry, and 
every other department of human activity in this advanced civiliza- 
tion is heavily stained and often rotten to the core by hideous 
selfishness, greed, enmity, jealousy, avarice, and other vices. 
Though we are so surrounded with convincing proofs of this mat- 
ter as to make our position almost self-evident, yet it may not be 
entirely without profit to give some few illustrations regard- 
ing this lack of harmony between the Christian spirit and the char- 
acter of our modern civilization. 

Illustrations from Political Life. — We have laws and governmental 
forms based on sound principles of truth and justice which the intel- 
lect, greatly aided by Christianity, has discovered. But see how 
corruption has seized and turned these into poison, and almost 
a curse to people's happiness and comfort! We hear on all sides 
loud lamentations over avaricious political corruption. " Gov- 
ernment is force; politics is a battle for supremacy; parties are the 



No Christianity in Political and Industrial Life. 175 

armies; the Decalogue and the Golden Rule have no place in 
politics." There the object is success. To defeat and expel the 
party in power is the desired end, and it matters not that the 
means are deceit, bribery, lust, forgery, — destruction of life and 
character. The Hon. Wayne MacVeagh is reported to have said in 
a public meeting not long ago as follows: "This is the crying 
evil, the menacing peril of free institutions in America. This is 
the deadly cancer which is eating into the very heart of the body 
politic, and we will not help ourselves by crying that we are not 
sick. The whole heart is sick and the whole head faint with a vile 
disease." 

While such are the conditions within the states and cities them- 
selves, the relations between one state and another are worse. No 
regard seems to be paid to the rights of other nations whatever. 
The right is to the strong. Each nation must defend its rights by 
the sword. The civilized nations of Christian Europe to-day are 
so many armed camps, expending milions on their military bud- 
gets, and keeping millions of able-bodied men unproductively for 
this purpose. 

Their latest conduct toward the unfortunate Greece who ven- 
tured to raise arms in defence of the helpless against Asiastic bru- 
talities will remain as an eternal monument inscribed with the inno- 
cent blood of the butchered Armenian and Cretan women and chil- 
dren, and showing how low has sunk the " Christian Europe" at 
the end of the civilized Nineteenth century. 

Illustrations from Industrial Life. — What do we find here? We 
find on the one hand a marvellous industrial and economic devel- 
opment. The steam engine, the dynamo, the lectricity, the forces 
of nature in their various forms and capacities are harnessed mira- 
culously to the service of man. They burst upon the world like 
transforming spirits, economize human labor to a wonderful ex- 
tent, and have enriched the world beyond the most sanguine ex- 
pectations. 



176 Religion and Character. 

But, see on the other hand, how this growth, too, is turned into 
sapping their lives and trampling the rights of humanity. Neither 
the rich nor the poor enjoy this prosperity as they should. "In- 
stead of finance serving industry, we find industry the slaves of 
finance.*' The economical word is divided into two camps of 
enmity, the one being a mortal foe to the other. 

The feeling that business and honesty are two incompatible 
things seem to be quite prevalent. " Might is right " seem to pre- 
vail in business as it does in politics. Each one seems to "look 
upon another as an instrument for game, not as a brother." 

In short, then. " the bane of modern business life is the deter- 
mination to possess ourselves of the money of somebody else without 
giving an honest equivalent for it: and hence wildcat speculations 
and gambling and forgeries and burglaries and combines and cor- 
ners, and grinding the faces of the poor, and even outright murder 
by slow degrees or sudden stroke as exigencies may require." In 
other words, the dominant spirit in the modern business world is 
but a somewhat modified and refined spirit of the old-time sinners 
whom Solomon describes as saying: " Come with us, let us lay in 
wait for blood, let us burst privily for the innocent without cause; 
let us swallow them alive as the grave, and whole as those that go 
down into the pit." 

Lessons from the Educational Sphere. — " Education is recognized 
as the demand of the hour. All over the world, in every class, 
the educational movement has been called the civilizing influence. 
It is said that in the education of the masses lies the salvation of 
the country. Every charitable undertaking, every reform is rooted 
and grounded in education. Free kindergartens, free lecture 
courses, clubs for working men and women have sprung up out of 
the universal greed for knowledge. From the children of the 
slums upward through various grades philanthropists and teacher 
have spread this contagion of education." 

But see what follows onlv a few lines after the above. " Edu- 



Want of Christianity in Educational Sphere. 177 

cation gives the criminal more facilities for carrying out his miser- 
able plans, and helps him to escape punishment, and changes his 
misdeeds only in degree. Education simply substitutes for the 
pickpocket and thief, the forger and embezzler. The common 
ruffian is evolved into the calculating villian. There is too much 
education in the world." 

The evil prevailing in the political, economic, and other depart- 
ments of life exist because educated people sustain it. " The evil 
comes from the educated " is another cry heard from each side. 
From the primary school to the university are heard complaints of 
unconquerable evil. A woman declared in a public meeting not 
long since that she prefers to send her son " to hell " than to a cer- 
tain leading university. This created a great deal of sensation and 
criticism. Perhaps she should not have said it; but still it ex- 
pressed the feeling of a very large portion of people on both sides 
of the waters. 

The unfortunate educational institutions seem to have to fight 
not only the evil that flows within their immediate at- 
mosphere, but also such that is intruded upon them from 
the outside. An American monthly in describing not long ago 
the evil which pestilent politicians infuse into the schools 
for selfish gains says: "It would be a serious problem if it were 
simply plundering the public treasury. Its evil would be beyond 
computation if it extended no farther than the corrupting, hu- 
miliating, and degrading the men and women who teach in the 
schools. But the real enormity of the crime begins to dawn upon 
us . . . when it results in dwarfing of all noble purposes, the par- 
alizing of all high efforts, the destruction of all elevated ideals, the 
gradual obliteration of all that makes life worth living. Herod 
killed the innocent to protect his throne; the modern politician 
murders the children for mere gain, and it does not seem to make 
much difference that his own children are among the number." 

Socially, in relation between man and man, we stand on an equal 



1 78 Religion and Character. 

level. Seldom do two persons meet together and have full confi- 
dence in each other without prior acquaintance. No sound busi- 
ness can be conducted on mere trust. No security of life and 
property can be guaranteed without police, courts, and prisons. 
No neighborhood exists without jealousy, enviousness, quarrel, 
and may be fight, whether open or silent. A mutual fear and sus- 
picion seems to be a very general thing. " Don't trust anybody " 
is an advice often given. The sociologists, in describing the primi- 
tive man, illustrate him as hiding himself in his cave, and growling 
against his neighbor, ready to tear him in pieces at any moment. 
How much of this beastly nature in man is preserved into the 
civilization of to-day! 

Of course he does not show it in the same manner. The differ- 
ence is that while the barbarian disposes with his rival by knocking 
him on the head and directly usurping his rights, the civilized man 
steps in softly, speaks gently and politely, expresses himself smil- 
ingly, and in the same time may be " a ravening wolf." The 
burning passion of hatred and ferocity seem to be within as well. 
Often a mere glance, a mere word, or even silence alone is suffi- 
cient to express deadly enmity. 

Another feature of the same evil is exhibited through what is 
called " society " or fashion.'' A strong tendency prevails among 
a very large portion of the more fortunate and " upper classes " to 
disassociate with the rest, and rather tending toward what is exter- 
nal, vain, artificial, false. As Channing says: " Inspired with de- 
sire to seem rather to be. Guided in their prouds of life not by 
depth of thought or earnestness of feeling, or strength of purpose, 
but living an unreal life, sacrificing substances to show, substitut- 
ing fictitious for natural, finding pleasures in ridicule and gossip. 
A set of fluttering fantastical beings, worn out in the keen pur- 
suits of pleasure. People who know, won, condemn, deplore, and 
yet pursue their own infelicity. Full of vanity, vanity of dress, 
vanity of face, vanity of manners, and vanity of conversation." 



Lack of Christianity in Society and Humanitarian Circles. 179 

Our charitable and humanitarian workers, as well as our moral 
reformers who are engaged in an activity which forms one of the 
most important features of our modern civilization, are also in- 
fected by the same spirit. 

They all resemble, by more or less, the girl who stole the book 
in order to get a present for the Sunday School. The tendency 
among them to build themselves upon the reputations and credits 
of others is as strong as it is hievish. We often find the credit 
of a single act of charity or philanthropy disputed by several clai- 
mants, and this is sometimes pushed to an extreme which falls 
little short of the shameful and ridiculous. 

So, it seems as if we all must join voices in exclaiming : " Oh, 
for men ! God calls for men, society calls for men, poli- 
tics calls for men, religion calls for men, the church calls for men — 
independent men that are bound to the law of God, and are ready 
always to hold up the banner of justice and truth! " 

In the midst of all this horror, then, how can the present civiliza- 
tion be called Christian? Is it because it is found among Christian 
communities? We know that anything that is not of His Spirit is 
not of Him. Christ certainly would have repulsed from ascribing 
to Him a state of affairs from which the whole humanity is groan- 
ing for deliverance. If this was a Christian civilization, brought 
about by the Spirit of God and some direct or independent Chris- 
tian influence, then we naturally would have found it possessed by 
goodness, self-sacrifice, devotion to what is good, pure, Godly. It 
is not true altogether that man is not willing to be such, because 
there is a very strong desire among people to be better than they 
are if they could. 

We can almost point out some of those who will say at once that 
we have taken the extreme side in describing the existing evils. 
There are better sides of life after all, they say. There are plenty 
of good, sincere, devoted Christian men and women, who delight 
in obedience to duty before God and humanity. 



180 Religion and Character 



s* 



Of course we are happy to admit this. There are many good 
people, and many more desiring to be good. The fact, however, 
still remains that there is enough, aye, more than enough on the 
other side to claim our most serious attention. In fact, one some- 
times feels compelled to believe that the evil constitutes the general 
rule, while the morality is the exception. 

The Present is a Rationalistic Civilization. — The present advanced 
civilization, therefore, is the product chiefly of rationalism or in- 
tellectuality, — not of morality or religion. It is chiefly the fruit of 
mental enrichment, of rational growth and development, through 
natural processes, than anything else. 

The mind has reached to the heavens and the depths of the 
earth; has entered into the mysteries of nature; has discovered 
their mutual relations, and has brought into light most hidden 
riches. It has also untied itself from many bondages of super- 
stition and slavery, moves freely in the realm of thought, grasps 
new ideas, and speedily popularizes them; " public opinion is quick- 
ly formed, freedom prevalent, vast influence of intellectual power 
moves the world into play; everything old seems to give place to 
something new. Intellectual revolution sweeping over the world, 
breakind down established opinions, dissolving foundations on 
which historical faith has been built up, and the like." 

The effects which all this progress has produced upon the per- 
sonal conducts of man or the character, consists not so much in 
moral as in intellectual improvement. By our advance in civiliza- 
tion we became not better, but more cunning, more judicious, more 
artistic in our conduct. Often what we consider to be goodness 
and godliness is found to be but a calculating prudence, and what 
we consider wickedness among barbarians is but childish lack of 
discretion. 

And so if we substract from the present civilization this element 
of prudent and judicious calculation, there remains but a mere 
barbarism. 



The Present is a Rational Civilization. 181 

But it may still be contended that the present advanced state of 
man, no matter what element prevails in it, is a result of Christian- 
ity. It may even be that one who questions this statement would 
be looked on as heretical. To such a contention, may be an- 
swered that these two positions, although seemingly opposed, 
may yet be reconciled for our discussion. The present rational- 
istic civilization might be a product of the Divine influence of 
Christianity. Suppose we admit this. The fact still remains that 
it has not elevated human character. That is what we call atten- 
tion to, and it must be impressed deeply upon our minds. 

That Christianity or Biblical religion has done its share in this 
rational growth by enlightening the mind upon the true God and 
His relations to His creation, this no one can deny, as we already 
endeavored to show. Christianity also has been strongest fac- 
tor in the emancipation of the mind from slavery and supersti- 
tion, and has stimulated man to activity. Furthermore, the 
Christian Church also in times past afforded a basis of organization 
for human society, etc. 

But let us notice that these are not the most essential features 
of the mission of Christianity; neither do they necessarily make 
man better. Giving freedom to a man, for instance, does not mean 
making him good; it may result in the reverse. So stimulating 
him to activity does not mean acting for him, still less does it 
mean showing him how to act. Man has not only to act himself, 
but he must discover what to do, and also how to go about doing 
it. And this is just what we find in the Christian sphere of ac- 
tivity. Man is commanded to utilize his talents; to be good him- 
self and do good to others; but he has to find out himself how to 
do all this. Christians are active, are desirous of being good as 
well as making the world good; but they succeed so little simply 
because they do not go about it in the right way. They should 
discover the natural laws that govern every line of work in human 
progress, and comply thoroughly with them. 

And so, while we should not depreciate in any measure the 



1 82 Religion and Character. 



<v 



share Christianity has taken in this rationalistic growth, still we 
must not forget that, strictly speaking, this is merely an incidental 
contribution. It is therefore a mistake to say that because Chris- 
tianity has done this much it will necessarily go still further, and 
make man perfect, morally as well as otherwise. 

Taking our present state of civilization, we must, in order to 
ascribe it to Christianity, ignore, among others, the following logi- 
cal difficulties: 

(a) Could it be that Christianity will put in the background its 
more direct work, and do something that is both secondary in im- 
portance, and which does not belong to it exclusively? The moral 
interest of man stand higher than his intellectual interests or ma- 
terial growth, and his manly character stands nearer and is dearer 
to Christianity than anything else that exists in the world to-day. 
Therefore, if " the great activity of the present age has resulted 
from the Christian religion," then logically must follow that good- 
ness, virtue, manhood and womanhood, which Christianity prefers 
so much more, and countenance so much more, would be ahead of 
intellectuality, and the latter, instead of being an instrument of evil, 
would be a source of happiness to humanity. 

The church has certainly stood always for the moral standard 
of life. No matter what dogmatic errors she has made, and how 
worthless some of her leaders have been, nevertheless she has al- 
ways stood for truth, justice, and goodness. Yet it must be ad- 
mitted that she has not succeeded in fixing these qualities in the 
characters of her adherents, although she has had plenty of time 
for it. This alone can prove what we claim, namely, that intellec- 
tuality, morality, and Christianity are, after all, by no means syn- 
onymous terms. 

(b) But why, we ask, may not this intellectual, rational, develop- 
ment be considered as a direct product of the human intellect 
itself? The intellect certainly is capable to produce such 
results ; and, what is still more worth of notice, without the 



The Present is an Intellectual Civilization. 183 

intellect these results could not have been produced. By climbing 
upon the scale of thought, it seizes upon the world, " arrests, 
searches, and shapes it; bows the tall soul as by wind, rushes over 
it like rivers over reeds. Thought can wing its way swifter than 
lightning flashes or the beam that hastens on the pinius of the 
morn." Intellect is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and re- 
flects it ; " or, as Milton puts it " The mind is its own place, and in 
itself can make a heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven." 

Not only is the mind endowed by its Creator with this potency, 
but it has always been and is now under a constant cultivation 
and elaboration. None of human faculties have ever been trained 
more than the intellect. The educators of to-day, as well as in times 
past, lay great stress upon cultivating and strengthening the mind. 
Even when they think that they train the character it will be found 
that essentially they train the mind, and not the character. The 
impressions of the observing eye, the constant currents of thought, 
the daily experience of life, and the tireless efforts of the educa- 
tors, are all bent upon the training of the mind. Is it, under such 
circumstances, difficult to understand the causes of our present in- 
tellectual development? 

Evil prevails in the midst of this advanced civilization, be- 
cause intellectuality does not directly produce morality and char- 
acter. " The intellect has only one failing, which, to be sure, is a 
very considerable one; it has no conscience. A "mind too vigor- 
ous and active may serve only to consume the body to which it is 
joined, as the richest jewels are soonest found to wear their 
settings. Is not this precisely what we find in the world to-day? 

(c) History likewise bears us in the saying that the present 
civilization is result of the natural intellectual growth, because in- 
tellectuality, wisdom, philosophy, good and sound ideas and 
thoughts existed before Christianity, and among nations who had 
no Bible, and who knew little or nothing of the true God, or the 
dependance on the Spirit. So sound was their philosophy and 
wisdom that evn to-day we often feast ourselves upon it, and give 



184 Religion and Character. 

it a high place in our educational systems. Furthermore, the pres- 
ent civilization was kindled chiefly by the Renaissance — the re- 
vival of the old heathen civilization. Says Guizot, in his history of 
civilization in this connection: " The classical school of that period 
was inflamed with admiration, not only for the writings of the 
ancients, but for the whole of ancient society, for its 
institutions, opinions, and philosophy, as well as for its 
literature. It must be confessed that antiquity, under the heads 
of politics, philosophy, and literature, was far superior to the 
Europe of the Fourteenth and the Fifteenth centuries. It 
cannot, therefore, be wondered at that it should exercise so great 
a sway, or that for the most part elevated, active, refined, and fas- 
tidious minds should take a disgust at the coarse manners, con- 
fused ideas, and barbarous forms of their own times, and that they 
should devote themselves with enthusiasm to the study and al- 
most the worship of a society at once more regular and developed." 
(d) If this is an intellectual growth, and if the intellect is capa- 
ble to produce it, we are not justified by the very nature of things 
to ascribe or mix it in any way with any other agency. If the in- 
tellect is capable to produce these results, we must take it for 
granted that the intellect is the agency appointed to produce it. 
In God's system every particular line of work, whether large or 
small, is assigned to a particular agency, and man cannot commit a 
more disastrous act than to try to displace these agencies or to de- 
pend upon the services of one for the services of another But 
this is what he has been doing in many respects, even in the process 
of the development of human character. 

2. No ! says another band of Christians. " Christianity has not 
raised human character because people do not surrender themselves 
fully to it, and do not pray for more Divine help to deliver them 
from evil." What has been said so far, they say, is true of people 
who know Christian truths, perhaps as the " devil knows and 
trembles;" but this is an entirely different thing from following 



What Another Band of Christians Say. 185 

these truths. People must be converted; must surrender to the re- 
generating power of the Holy Spirit; must throw themselves fully 
into the uplifting hands of God, and He will save them and keep 
them from evil. All evil-doers are Christians by name only, and it 
is not fair to judge of Christianity by them. 

To such highest type of Christians may be answered that they 
are not only wrong, but very unjust; unjust toward whole com- 
munities, and towards thousands and millions who have been and 
are sincere and devoted Christians, though while in the flesh they 
may perhaps yield to evil passions, bad habits, inconsistencies, 
apparent weakedness, burdened with defects, injurious to others, 
as well as to themselves. 

As we already have pointed out, evil seems to prevail very large- 
ly to-day even within the church, as it always has, though now it 
acts in a different manner. Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy 
communications, worldly tendencies, which the apostle denounced 
before the ancient church, exist among Christians to-day as they 
seem to have existed then. This is true not only of the relations of 
individuals toward each other, but also of the churches themselves. 

" Inefficiency, indifference to moral sanction, unblemishing cor- 
ruption," says The Outlook, " have never been so ripe as during 
the last two decades." 

" With all my love and regard toward you as your pastor," 
said a leading minister to his large congregation recently, " I or my 
associate can go among the non-church-goers outside, and form a 
church of better membership than you." It is often so difficult to 
find differences between Christian and non-Christian in their prac- 
tical life ! 

In answering questions regarding these evils, how often are 

heard Christians say : " Don't look at our lives, but look at our 

faith. Look to Him who alone is perfect; we are all sinners." 

Such being the conditions, would you say that the church has 

been and is full of religious hypocrites ? Far from it. Very few are 



1 86 Religion and Character. 



&' 



such. A majority are real Christians. Their faults are due to 
lack of the right, the natural, appliances for the necessary remedy. 

But you say. " Where does their Christian consistency lie 
then?" It lies both in accepting Christ as their spiritual Saviour 
and in their will, a heart}- desire to do right, as far as they know 
what is right, if it were at all possible. They always desire to be 
good, to be better every time. They may pray, consecrate, and re- 
consecrate themselves: confess their sins and weakness, often with 
tears in their eyes, and ask others to pray for them to become 
better. How often we hear them saying that they are sure of 
being saved, the Holy Spirit whispers this to them; but that they 
are so weak in the flesh: that the devil so easily besets them; that 
they do things which they should not have done, and have left un- 
done things that they should have done? And if such are hardly 
saved from evil tendencies what becomes of those who are in any 
measure careless or indifferent? 

And so to desire the good to pray for it. to long for it. to wor- 
ship it, to " walk after the Spirit " in desires and intentions, and in 
the same time to be unable to escape practising the evil, seems 
to be the most common experience even among the best Chris- 
tians to-day as it has been in times past. Such is the experience 
even of such holy men as the Apostle Paul, for he says: "That 
which I do, I allow not. for what I would that do I not; but what 
I hate, that do I. To will is present with me, but how to perform 
that which is good. I find not. For the good that I would. I do not; 
but the evil which I would not, that I do. ... I find then a law, that 
when I would do good, evil is present with me. . . . So, then, with 
the mind I myself serve the law of God: but with the flesh, the law 
of sin" (Romans 7 : 15-24). In similar sense he speaks in others of 
his letters. Christ's words : " The spirit indeed is willing ; but the 
flesh is weak," though said in different connection can also be 
taken in consideration here. 

Some theologians seem to interpret the above words of the 
apostle as describing his state before his conversion: but it is hard 



Why Christianity has not Raised Human Character. 187 

to see how such interpretation could be made, except for the pur- 
pose of suiting certain theories. For it is plain that he describes 
his position at the time of writing the letter. St. Paul did walk 
after the Spirit in his will and intentions, as many Christians do 
to-day; but at the same time he felt the tendency after evil just the 
same. These tendencies are to be improved by different (natural) 
processes, not by a special Divine power. 

II. 

WHY CHRISTIANITY HAS NOT RAISED HUMAN CHARACTER. 

While tracing this up, let us keep firmly in mind what character 
is — " a pile of habits," as explained in chapter III., 5. 

The answer to the question why Christianity has not raised human 
character, may be looked upon from two standpoints. 

(a) Because such is not directly the function of Christianity. 
There are undoubtedly such who will lift up hands and say: How 
could this be! But it is a fact that we have been taxing the Holy 
Spirit too much, by depending on Him for things which it is not in 
His sphere to give. I say the Holy Spirit, because it is His work 
that we must count on in Christian life. It must be plain now that 
" Christian education " or acquirement of Christian truths, with- 
out " spiritual regeneration," may not amount to much more than 
the existing secular education in upbuilding human character. It 
is the spirit that gives life, regenerates and sanctifies. Now, to say 
again, it is this Sanctifier that we have been depending upon for 
more than He can give. 

The futility, for instance, of depending on the Spirit for our 
physical needs is plain, and about the same thing could be said of 
our intellectual and aesthetic needs. God has assigned other 
agencies to minister unto these interests of humanity, and it is on 
them that we must depend. 

In the same way we can go beyond our physical and intellectual 
needs, and examine the main threads of human character. There, 
too, we will meet with needs which cannot be satisfied by the Spirit. 



1 88 Religion and Character. 

but by the proper training of the faculties and the formation of 
right habits. 

What does the Holy Spirit do for us? — Although the answer to 
this question involves considerable difficulty of expression, yet in 
general it may be said that one correct answer would be: The 
Spirit satisfies our religious or spiritual needs. And what is re- 
ligion in us? Religion in us, it may be said, is a different thing 
from Christianity in us. Religion in man is " an innate feeling of 
dependence upon a supernatural being," and the hunger of the soul 
for communion with such a being. To this are due the various 
religious beliefs and systems of worship throughout the world. 
Christianity, or we may also say, the Biblical religion in man's 
soul, means man having come in conscious relation with that 
Being through the revealing and sanctifying power of the Holy 
Spirit, having reconciled himself with Him through the medita- 
tion of the Saviour, and thus having received a full satisfaction to 
his soul. 

All this expresses itself through a feeling. In other words, 
spirituality in us is a feeling. Feeling of power, similar to the 
power of knowledge and life, with this difference, that it is much 
stronger and accompanied with peace, joy and satisfaction. No 
matter how good or how bad a person was before, now he feels 
that he is a new creature; that a new element has entered into his 
soul, which makes him whisper in deep solemnity. "Abba Father." 

By this influence he feels that he has reached his farthest des- 
tiny. What he craves now for is not to go any farther, but to obtain 
more and more of this Divine grace in the enrichment of his soul. 
The more he gets of this comforting gift, the more he wants. 

In short, then, the Holy Spirit does for the highest, the spirit- 
ual, interests of man about what bread does for his hunger, water 
for his thirst, air for the breath, beauty for his aesthetic instincts, and 
science or knowledge for the longing of the mind after truth. 



Unfounded Claims by the Church. 189 

Unfounded Claims by the Church. — And now we come to the point 
to which are centered the various threads of our discussion. The 
mistake which the church has been making is in maintaining that 
Christianity by supplying through the Holy Spirit the highest, the 
spiritual needs of man, simultaneously takes care for his lower 
needs, more particularly those that concern his character. 

" Spirituality," they say, " is a life, physical, intellectual, social, 
which has come under the complete guidance and government of 
impulses which arise from our relation to God, the center of the 
spiritual world, and to our fellow-men associated with us as citi- 
zens of that world. It is a life with a large circumference and a 
firm center. It is fed on all sides, and responds to all incentives. 
It gathers in as carefully and successfully the physical conditions of 
life as the spiritual ones, the intellectual ones as the social ones, 
the active ones as the emotional ones, and combines them all in a 
thoroughly natural and self-sustaining product. It has a mastery 
of life through the will and beyond the will. It possesses itself of 
the visible world in all its wealth of ministration, and it does it by 
means of an invisible world, whose laws and incentives are turn- 
ing all things into the kingdom of heaven. 

" The higher impulse rules in and with and over the lower im- 
pulses which accompany it, which are material in its hand, which 
sustain it. Spirituality is spiritual truth, hidden in thought, feel- 
ing, and action, slowly finding expression in physical, social, and 
intellectual relations, until all respond to it, and are ruled by it." 

By "washing man's sins away, Christianity removes," it has 
been claimed, " the sources of evil, developes moral character, as well 
as other virtures." This is the most widespread view even among 
the best type of Christians. For the removal of most any kind 
of moral evil they recommend the invocation of the Holy Spirit. 
" Yes, it must be in every thing, not in one thing, or two things 
or three things, but in every thing. It is not at this stage or the 
other stage; but all the journey through. Christ must be all, and 



190 Religion and Character. 

the world nothing." Of course this is in a sense is true, but by no 
means in the sense it is most generally taken. 

There are some who say that the above are rather private opin- 
ions than the teachings of the church. " The modern theology," 
they claim, " does not hold these views any more." Those who say 
this, however, are evidently few in number, for we see but 
few other efforts made by any representative of the church 
for the betterment of human character, except the erection of 
churches, chapels, and missions for various religious services. Of 
course the church believes in and upholds the education of the peo- 
ple, as well as doing many other services to humanity. Let us not 
be misunderstood as attempting to minimizing her value and 
efficiency to the extent she has gone. We refer only to her attitude 
toward the elevation of human character. By building and main- 
taining schools and colleges, however, she is only doing the work 
of the educators, and thereby making their mistakes regarding 
the character development. Furthermore, the representatives of 
the church are uttering seriously misleading and often wrong 
statements when saying " education, boy's clubs, night schools, — 
the modern tendencies for betterment of the environment of man 
are all right, but dependence must not be put on them for the de- 
liverance of man from evil." 

" Our church does not hold that the Spirit makes man per- 
fect," said a distinguished Methodist brother recently. " We hold 
that the Spirit only begins the moral improvement of man. It 
must be perfected by a gradual growth, through reading the 
Bible, prayer, and devotion to God." We would like to ask where 
is the difference between this position and the one we have been 
discussing? 

That the church considers the religious or the supernatural pow- 
er as the agency for the elevation of man is evident also from her 
policy toward the people in the slums and the congested districts of 
the cities, who have been forced by the community into intellectual, 



What Christianity Actually does for Man. 191 

moral, social, as well as may be physical starvation. What does 
the church do to help them? She goes there with the Bible and the 
hymn book, turns some of the hovels into a mission, and then in- 
vites them to come in and repent from their many sins, which 
have dragged them so much down! 

Of late, it is true, the church has been awakened to the necessity 
of making some provisions for the non-religious wants of those 
unfortunate people. She has begun to provide games, reading- 
rooms, and other similar attractions and enjoyments especially for 
the young. But even these are generally intended as means to re- 
ligious ends, to build the Sunday School or the mission, for in- 
stance; they are not met on their own merits. 

And so it is due to this confused and indiscriminate ways 
of action that the church has been of such a little practical help in 
the permanent elevation of human character. 

What Christianity actually does for the man, therefore, in con- 
tradistinction from what it teaches, is of a spiritual or religious na- 
ture. It redeems the man from " the law's curse," reconciles him 
with God, and " transfers him unto God's family." 

These spiritual needs of man are freely supplied. All that is re- 
quired of him is a proper inclination and willingness to receive 
these free gifts. 

As this concerns man's highest (eternal) interests, the Scriptures 
lay great stress upon his attitude toward this free salvation. The 
Spirit " speaks, searches, selects, reveals, reproves, testifies, leads, 
comforts, is grieved," all with the aim of turning man unto God in 
this spiritual sense. God gives many blessings to mankind. He 
gives rain, food, all necessities to the just and the unjust; He holds 
man responsible for many things, but the greatest blessing is this 
new, eternal, life, and the heaviest responsibility that could ever be 
laid upon a man is that of negligence toward his reconciliation 
with God. 

While the Spirit supplys these highest needs of man, however, 



192 Religion and Character. 

He does not take care for those departments of man's life, for 
whose care God has appointed other agencies, no matter how in- 
ferior they may be. Each department of life is ruled by the laws 
to which God has subjected it. And to the obedience to those 
laws is due the harmony of the universe. The Holy Spirit does not 
take for our moral interests (natural goodness, instinct for justice, 
duty, conscientiousness, etc.) anymore than morality supply s our in- 
tellectual needs (truth, science, knowledge), and as intellectuality 
does not supply our lower needs. Shall it be said again that for 
providing all these departments of life we must comply with the 
laws and orders of God in order to be successful. 

Their Close Relationship. — There is, however, a very close rela- 
tionship between spirituality and morality, as there is between 
these and the lower branches of life, which must be noticed. 

There is, for instance, a very close relationship between the air 
man breathes and his food; the functions performed by the one has 
a strong effect upon the other. The physical welfare of a person 
also has a very strong effect upon his intellectual welfare. Then 
the man properly developed physically and intellectually is the most 
fitted for moral welfare. And finally, a person thoroughly de- 
veloped physically, intellectually, and morally cannot avoid crav- 
ing for spirituality, and when earnestly seeking it he always finds it. 

All these, however, are relationships — not identities. They 
stimulate each other, but they do not do each other's work. The 
air develops appetite of hunger, but it is food that must satisfy it; 
the food can be most serviceable to man when he breaths pure, 
fresh air, but the air can never do the work of the food, nor food 
of air. Similar is the relationship between the intellectuality and 
morality; the one stimulates the other; but they cannot do each 
other's work. So spirituality and morality have certain relation- 
ship, but not identity. 

The Holy Ghost, by supplying the spiritual, eternal, needs of man, 
brings the kingdom of heaven in Him, which is "peace, joy, and right- 



Relationship between Spirituality and Morality. 193 

eousness." This new power "that surpasses knowledge and under- 
standing, ' ' inclines the will of man toward what is true, pure and just : 
but it only creates these desires, not satisfying them, properly 
speaking. Man must accustom himself to live in accordance with 
these holy desires. He must fight against the various habits which 
have turned his life in wrong directions. Do we not hear those 
who are already converted pray to God for additional strength 
to improve their evil tendencies and weaknesses ? They evidently 
realize that the Spirit by saving them and creating Godly desires 
in them did not make them Godly in practical life. They pray. 
and maybe work hard to break those bad habits that so easily be- 
got them, but, alas, how slow the progress generally is if not 
altogether futile. The bad training they have had is always against 
them. Such good and earnest Christians very often go to 
heaven full of defects and imperfections, though animated with 
Godly desires. They also die, as St. Paul says, having done things 
that they hated, though they always endeavored to walk after the 
Spirit. They could not get rid of their faults, first, because it is 
not the function of the Spirit to correct these faults alone; secondly, 
because they began too late in life to train themselves. The time 
to do this is in early life — in childhood. Proper measures should 
at that period be taken for the development of child's natural 
faculties, for guiding him aright through life, shaping his habits, 
which crystallize into character, and to mould good tendencies in 
life. When the Spirit enters a life trained in this way, then we 
may look for the highest attainable perfection. This seems to be 
the natural order of God in the plan of perfecting man's life. 

Spiritual Miracles. — The exceptions that could be made to the 
above assertions are what we may call spiritual miracles. God 
performs miracles; He raises the dead, cures the sick, quites the 
furious waves of the sea, multiplies five loafs of bread to feed 
thousands, etc., all in a miraculous manner. He does such super- 
natural acts in the physical world whenever He chooses; but in 



194 Religion and Character. 

the moral and spiritual spheres of life He seems to perform mira- 
cles all the time. " Saving the soul" of a man is not a miracle in 
the proper sense of the word. This is in accordance with the es- 
tablished order of God; but the sudden killing the inebriate appe- 
tite of the drunkard, softening the temper of a furious, nervous, 
ill-passionate man ; making a reckless, foolish, unbalance-headed 
person a judicious, thoughtful, and wise one. Turning a 
life full of lust, deceit, hypocrisy, vice — a weak and wicked life 
into one harmonious with the whisperings of the Spirit, as it is 
noticed to have been done sometimes among the converted people, 
are rather miraculous deeds. 

Miracles, however, are only exceptions to the established order 
of things. As the resurrection of Lazarus is not resurrection of 
the last day, as the healing of the sick by a word does not take the 
place of medicine, and as the miraculous feeding of thousands 
does not change the physical and economic laws, so the spiritual 
and moral miracles do not change the natural laws which form 
the habits of character. The evil and inconsistencies that exist 
among the real Christians sufficiently prove this. 

Of course we do not say that person who turns his will unto 
God and righteousness, does not become better in character. All 
such converts do improve morally more or less. Our contention 
is that this improvement is limited. It goes only to a certain de- 
gree, and stops there. This is confirmed not only by the science 
of human nature, but also by the Christian experience. As a rule 
the bad training of a man shows itself very considerably even after 
he gets converted. God seems to show His greatest mercy and 
love toward the convert by saving and providing for that part of 
him which shall enter into eternity. The other elements of man's 
nature seem to be subjected to penalties for the transgression of 
the laws which govern them. 



Wliat has led the Church unto these Errings. 195 

III. 

What has led the Church unto these Errings. 

The more prominent influences which have led the church 
into this overdependence upon the action of the Spirit could be con- 
sidered in general to be: 

(a) The Comfort and Joy Derived from the Spirit. — The pleasures 
which fresh air gives are of one kind; the tastes and pleasures of 
food are different; the pleasures and satisfaction obtained from 
grasping truths and principles are higher; the ethical enjoyments 
are still different. The pleasures of moral life surpasses all. It 
almost approaches the threshold of heaven. It is the shadow of 
the Divine in man. The qualities of a true and manly life are so 
sublime, so majestic, so lofty that many are satisfied to look on 
their religion as composed of these qualities. 

The spiritual experience, however, surpass immeasurably all 
the above. It is a free gift from heaven, and stands as high above 
other gifts and pleasures as heavenly things stand above earthly. 
No language can describe the sweetness of the spiritual gifts. 
They are " sweeter than honey and the honey-combs," says the 
Psalmist. " More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than 
much fine gold." The soul visited by the Holy Spirit, no matter 
how good morally it has been, is overwhelmed with sweet, 
heavenly repose, calmness, and tranquility, which leaves no fears, 
no doubts, no misgivings, no inward shrinkings, no hidden anxie- 
ties, no vague hopes, no shadowy expectations regarding spiritual 
matters. Man feels sure of God as he is sure of his own ex- 
istence, and that the gain of this spiritual grace is so incomparable 
with earthly gains as eternity is incomparable with temporality. 

It is this heavenly feeling which Christ or the Biblical religion 
brings and bestows upon the " converted soul." The sinfulness of 
man is not to be exhibited necessarily through evil doing as 
through being deprived of this Divine consciousness. By 
proper training, wholesome food and environment man can ac- 



196 JJliat has led the Church unto these Errings. 

quire a high moral perfection; can be made a good citizen, good 
neighbor, good and honest business man. and society can prac- 
tically be freed from the present crushing evils and unbearable 
moral conditions. But training can never satisfy this spiritual or 
religious nature. Even at the highest point of moral perfection the 
soul will long after something still higher, even the spiritual light 
and life that reaches into the eternity. 

This heavenly sweetness, therefore, is one thing which has led 
so many to think that religion is all and everything else nothing. 

(b) Christian Ethics. — As we already pointed out, the prevalent 
plan of man's training so far has been that of intellectual instruc- 
tion, enlightening his mind with facts, truths, and principles. Even 
the work of the preacher has been to sow seeds of Christian truth 
in the mind, without thinking much of the soil in which they are 
to grow and bear fruit. It has been sought to upbuild man's char- 
acter by instruction in morality or ethical truths. And as Chris- 
tianity contains the soundest moral truths, therefore the conclu- 
sion seems to have been that if these truths are inculcated in the 
mind, then the necessities of character are supplied. The fact 
seems to have been forgotten that mere piling up of knowledge 
into the mind without proper conditions of fostering life in ac- 
cordance with this knowledge, is like putting food, no matter how 
nutritious, into the stomach of a disordered physical system. Such 
food, highly nutritious though it may be, may pass through with- 
out nourishing the system. 

(c) Christian Tastes. — Christianity not only instructs the mind, 
and give joy and happiness to life, but also creates new tastes, — a 
desire for holy living. It makes the converted soul to despise 
evil and love good more than ever before. And this has been 
one of the strongest arguments advanced to prove that religion 
is the sole remedy for evil. But here, too, the fact evidently has 
been forgotten that it is one thing to have a taste for something. 



Christian Ethics, Tastes and Mistaking the Scriptures. 197 

another thing to have our tastes gratified, and a still different thing 
to have our system benefitted by it. There would be little use of 
our taste if the digesting and circulatory systems are in abnor- 
mal condition. 

And this is just what we find in the religious and moral world. 
The Christians always desire and long for the good, and have be- 
come nauseated by the evil, but still live in and often practice the 
evil. They all seem to join voices with St. Paul in saying, " What T 
hate, that do I." 

(d) Mistaking the Scriptures. — We are satisfied that the views 
stated above regarding the mission of Christianity, and its relation 
toward human character, are sufficiently corroborated by the Scrip- 
tures. Every independent and discriminating reader can easily see 
this. What do the Scriptures declare to be the mission of Christ 
in this world? The most comprehensive answer which they give 
to this question is that He has come to bring the kingdom of 
heaven to mankind. John the Baptist began to preach of Him by 
saying, " Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 
Jesus commenced his preaching with the same words (Matt. 4: 17). 
He said himself that He was sent to preach the kingdom of God 
(Luke 4: 43). When He sent His disciples to preach, he told them, 
*' As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." 
He commanded His hearers to seek " first the kingdom of 
heaven; " and " He went throughout every city and village preach- 
ing and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God " (Luke 
8: 1). He not only declared his mission to be to preach "the 
gospel of the kingdom," but gave many explanations of what the 
kingdom of God is like unto, and what are the conditions of enter- 
ing into it. 

And what is this kingdom of heaven? The Scriptures equally 
point out that this kingdom is a spiritual one. " My kingdom is 
not of this world," says Jesus. " The kingdom of God is right- 
eousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost " (Romans 14: 17). 



198 Religion and Character. 

Righteousness of the justification before God through Christ, 
which is the only way of obtaining peace and joy in the Holy 
Ghost, " for if righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead 
in vain " (Gal. 2: 21). 

It is the kingdom of the Eternal Life, " And this is Life Eternal 
that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ 
whom Thou hast sent" (John 17: 3). Man cannot enter into this 
kingdom unless he becomes spiritual — be born of the Spirit (John 
3- 3, 5)- "The words that I speak unto you are spirit" (John 
6: 63); and "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the 
kingdom of God is come unto you" (Matt. 12: 28). "That which 
is born of the Spirit, is spirit." Other words synonymous to the 
kingdom are " life, power, and truth." " I am come that they 
might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly " 
(John 10: 10). " I am the bread of life." 

Life here means again the eternal, the spiritual life — not so 
much physical, intellectual, and social life as contended by various 
writers. It means adding to the life man already has, yet another 
element, a life of peace, joy, and eternal hope. Man's life does 
become stronger by adding the spiritual life, as he would be stron- 
ger physically if an injured limbs of his body was restored to use; 
but this does not mean that the newly restored limb is to per- 
form the functions of the other limbs. Each organ must perform 
its own services in order to have harmony and health. 

That Christ meant the spiritual life is also evident from the 
following: " It is better for thee to enter into life maimed than 
having two hands to go into hell " (Mark 9: 43). " We know that 
we have passed from death unto life." 

" Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come 
upon you " (Acts 1 : 8). "And the Spirit of truth will guide you 
into all truth," viz., spiritually speaking. 

And so it appears that the Scriptures show as plainly as could 
be desired that the kingdom of heaven which Christ came to 



Christ Kingdom is Spiritual Kingdom. 199 

bring, the kingdom of power, of truth, of life everlasting is a spir- 
itual kingdom. He came to seek and save that which was lost in 
spiritual sense. This kingdom is not governed by flesh and 
blood, neither does it govern the flesh and the blood. It is gov- 
erned only by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit governs it with- 
out entering into the lower kingdoms, governed by the natural and 
temporal laws. 

This kingdom of the Spirit stands higher than the highest mere 
moral greatness. John the Baptist was certainly one of the best 
men that ever lived. His birth was rather miraculous, and he was 
chosen to be a special messenger of God. Jesus himself says that 
"Among them that are born of women there hath not risen one 
greater than John the Baptist; " and still, "The least in the king- 
dom of heaven is greater than he." 

Only one step farther. What does it cost us to enter into this 
kingdom? Nothing but a willing heart to receive it. It is a free 
gift of God through Jesus Christ. " God so loved the world that 
He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." All that we must do 
is to humble ourselves as children before God to receive it (Matt. 
18: 2-6). " Let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let him 
take the water of life freely." " Come unto me all ye that are 
weary and are heavy laden, and I will give ye rest." "Ask and ye 
shall receive that your joy may be full." And " they which re- 
ceive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall 
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." 

But, now, while the Scriptures are full of exhortations to man 
to come and receive this free gift of the Spirit, they are none the 
less urgent in prescribing to him to do many things for his per- 
fection. " Be ye perfect as your father which is in heaven is per- 
fect." " Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye 
double-minded." " Speak not evil one of another." " Walk as 
children of light." "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that 



2C3 Religion and Character 



a ■ 



which is good.'" " Be not overcome of evil: but overcome evil 
with good." "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only." 
*' Love one another as I have loved you." '* Let him who thinketh 
he standeth take heed lest he fall." " Do that which is honest." 
" Live in peace." " Be not carnally-minded." *" For as much 
then, as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself like- 
wise with the same mind " (i Peter 4: 1). "Add to your faith 
(which is free gift) virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowl- 
edge temperance, and to temperance pations." etc. All these are 
commandments, not promises, and the Scriptures are full of such 
commandments and of similar instructions. These are the ele- 
ments of moral character, and we see with what emphasis the 
Scriptures require their development from man himself, and not .0 
depend upon the Spirit, as he must depend upon Him for his spirit- 
ual needs. 

Now. the mistake which has been made in this respect cons:;:; 
in the failure to observe the difference between the promise of free 
gifts of the Spirit on the one hand, and the commands addressed 
to man. on the other. 

The Christian's duty has. in other words, been wrongly con- 
sidered to be merely that of readiness to throw himself into the 
hands of God. and He will purify and sanctify him. At least, such 
is the most general impression produced by the teachers and 
preachers representing the church. 

" Nothing else but the Hoiy Spirit is wanted in us." *' Nothing 
else intended for us by the law, the prophets, and the gospel." 
'" Man can do nothing to make himself good, for all that can be 
called goodness and virtue in the creature is but the goodness of 
God. manifested through the Holy Spirit." Such statement; so 
generally uttered bj' the pulpit, and expressed by the Christian 
literature, certainly overlook the more exact teachings of the Scrip- 
ture;. 

It is true that the church is full of zeal in denouncing the evil 
in the world, and exhorts man to cleave to what is good. true, and 



Some Scriptural Teachings Regardi?ig Character Building. 201 

pure. She points the wrath of God against all wickedness, and 
urges man to depart from evil and learn to do good; but she has 
not recommended herself as having shown to him fully how to 
learn to be good. It certainly is not enough merely to tell a man 
to be good. He must be made such, and in order to make him so 
we must comply with all the laws which govern the development 
of his character or his goodness. We must train the child in the 
ways he should go, and he will remember them when he gets old; 
we must also train the child aright. 

Of course the Scriptures teach that we should look unto God 
for help against evil. " When ye pray say, Our father which art in 
heaven; . . . Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from 
evil," etc. (the Lord's Prayer). But such statements cannot be 
taken literally, for the Scriptures also tell us that " God cannot be 
tempted with evil, neither tempted He any man " (James 1 : 13). 
Besides this the Lord's Prayer also tells us to say : " Give us this 
day our daily bread," and we know that we must work for our 
daily bread. " He who does not work neither must he eat." 

But our brother may point to us the Scriptural statements that 
every good gift comes from above; that to Christ is given all 
power on heaven and earth; that He went around doing good; 
and also that He said. " Lo, I am with you always." 

Of course all these are truths in their own meaning. The physi- 
cal, intellectual, moral, aesthetic, social, spiritual, and other " good 
gifts " come from God. They express His fatherly goodness 
toward us, and we must recognize Him as the giver of them all. 
But this does not make us free from observing the laws to which 
He has subjected these gifts. 

So, also, if Christ is made King over all creattion, it does not 
mean that He has changed its established order. He altered 
only man's personal communications with God in a purely spirit- 
ual (religious) sense. Besides, He did many good deeds, for 
which He did not come purposely on earth. He went around 
doing good like many men before and after Him have done, for 



202 Religion and Character. 

this is becoming to every godly person. But He came for one 
object which none could have accomplished, namely, our justifict- 
tion before God. Now He is " always " with us, serving our 
spiritual needs; but it neither follows logically from His words, 
nor have we any other evidence that He takes ca'-e supernaturally 
for those of our needs, for which God has provided other agencies. 
Of course, by all this we do not mean to say that the Spirit 
of God does not pass over the established limits, and perform 
what are called supernatural or miraculous works. We already 
spoke of this while touching on spiritual miracles. Let us also 
not forget the stimulus which spirituality gives to other depart- 
ments of life through what we called relationships. Supernatural 
acts, however, are God's own exceptions to the established order 
of things, and man must not mistake the exception for the gen- 
eral rule. 

And so, brother, as " children of the light," let us walk in the 
light. Let us observe God's ways as we share in the bringing of His 
will on earth as it is in heaven. " The church needs something." 
This everybody sees. " It needs the greater outpouring of the Holy 
Spirit," we often hear it said. Of course, more and more of this is 
always desirable. But it appears plain that to-day she needs 
nothing so much as a clearer comprehension as to how much this 
unfortunate " human nature " can be improved by grace, and how 
much by works. Christ is our example, but He essentially is our 
Saviour. He came to seek and save that which was lost in spirit- 
ual sense. We must look on Him for our eternal salvation; but 
we must ourselves work a very great deal in order to become 
Christ-like in character. 

Not only must we work, but we must work in accordance with 
the natural order of things. Just as we depend on air for our res- 
piration, on food for the satisfaction of our hunger, on Christ for 
our spiritual salvation, so we must depend for character on the en- 
vironment, example, and on the harmonious training of the faculties 



A Plea for Betterment. 203 

of the youth. The enlightenment of the child's mind must be ac- 
companied with guidance in the formation of his habits and direct- 
ing his tendencies. 

Such statements as : " The gymnasium, the reading-room, the 
bath-room, the night school — the modern tendencies looking 
toward improving the environment of man, etc., are all right, but 
dependence must not be put on them for regeneration of man; ; ' 
such statements, uttered by most representative men of the 
church, while not absolutely incorrect, are yet seriously misleading. 
One might just as well say: fresh air and sunlight for a man are all 
right, but what he really wants is a good, substantial meal to last 
him for hours. As to statements like: " Man can do nothing to 
make himself good," etc., they are totally wrong. 

By misrepresenting the mission of Christianity and the work 
of the Spirit in this way, the church not only gives rise to a serious 
confusion of thoughts, but also discourages man's efforts for his 
own improvement, causes unjust criticism of Christianity, brings 
many sceptical doubts, and eventually keep many away from the 
kingdom of heaven. 

The moral nature of man may have its origin in the Holy Spirit, 
as some maintain, and for which reason they do not make much 
01 distinction between spirituality and morality. Even if this were 
so (of course it has its origin with God) it does not effect our posi- 
tion regarding character-building. No matter where man's moral 
instinct originated, it is subject to natural processes of develop- 
ment. That is what we call attention to, and it must not be for- 
gotten by all laboring for the elevation of man. 

The second reason why Christianity has not elevated human 
character we treated in chapter III, page 73. 



